What Once Was Our: Desperate Measures
by Kira Tamarion
Summary: The threat of a sundered Veil wasn't enough for Maric and Val Hawke-Theirin to reconcile the mages and templars; war is at hand. But the mages won't be facing rogue templars and seekers; their foe is the newly risen Inquisition. Can Val and Maric, with the help of Varric, Cullen, Leliana, and Zevran, successfully lead the mages to victory? AU
1. Cat and Mouse

**Welcome to Book Three. **

For those who are new to this tale, welcome! To provide you with some context, there is a summary in the first chapter of _What Once Was Ours: Reconciliation_. That should be all you need to follow along.

_**AN**__ at the bottom._

**~oOOo~**

**Chapter 1. Cat and Mouse**

A deeply troubled Aedan sat in his study drinking a glass of port while watching the setting sun. As he'd expected neither Anella – one of the two royal healers – nor the templar had found any mental aberrations or evidence of mind control in Anora. _Clearly someone is holding something over her head that she doesn't want me to know. That someone is most likely Clodovea herself. _

Aedan was conflicted. He wanted to know what Anora was hiding, but feared that it could be something catastrophic to Ferelden._ If I do anything to that Orlesian cow, she will betray Anora's secret._ _If it's just something Anora doesn't want me to know, that's one thing. But, if it's something that goes beyond me I can't risk it being exposed _

He finished his drink and scrubbed his face with his hands._ Maker, why am I so bloody tired? _He took a sealed scroll from his desk; it contained the Royal Healer's official declaration of Anora's infertility. _The only thing I can do is force Anora's hand. Unless she agrees to remove Clodovea, I will use this report and put her aside. _Aedan hung his head. _It will give me no pleasure in doing this, but she has left me little choice._

He drew a deep breath and sharply exhaled. Squaring his shoulders he left for their bedchamber.

When Aedan arrived he saw Anora sitting on a chaise reading. For one unguarded moment, Aedan saw her vulnerability, his bride with whom he'd shared many tender nights. He closed the door, she turned towards him and the look was gone.

Her eyes, voice, and expression were like ice. "Are there further indignities you will force me to suffer today?"

Aedan sighed coming back to reality, a reality where she was no longer his tender bride, and hadn't been for a long time. After ten stormy years of marriage Aedan had become impervious to sharp, hurtful words. He calmly but firmly replied, "That depends. Will you agree to remove Clodovea as Divine?"

"Did you think that your pathetic posturing today would change my mind?"

"I take it that means 'no'?"

Anora stared haughtily at him.

Aedan sat in a chair near his wife. "Will you, at least, tell me who's blackmailing you?"

"I am not being blackmailed!"

He continued, his voice sill calm, but his words sharpened, "You are a very adroit politician and an excellent strategist; the only way you would take such a ridiculously suicidal stance is if someone was holding something over you. You know it and I know it. So, can we at least dispense with _that_ lie?"

Anora knew Aedan was right. The more she denied it, the more obvious it was. "What if I agreed I was being blackmailed?"

"That would depend. Is it something that would endanger Ferelden if it were exposed?"

Anora slowly shook her head.

"Then you have three choices. You can tell me what the information is and we will go from there. You can betray Clodovea and risk her exposing you…or I will put you aside for being barren."

She laughed mockingly. "They Grey Wardens are known for infertility. You cannot lay the blame at my feet."

Aedan sighed and handed her the sealed parchment. "Yes, I can."

Anora saw the seal of the Royal Healer and paled. She broke the seal and read the report. "You bastard! You wouldn't dare!"

He hated being forced into such a position but Anora left him few options. In a voice devoid of emotion, Aedan said, "If you do not agree to remove Clodovea, then I will take the other official copy of this report, present it to the Seneschal, and I will put you aside."

The angry expression on Anora's face vanished. She looked pale and scared. "You…you would put me aside because I don't agree with you?"

"No, I would put you aside because you've proven that your ability to rule has been compromised by whomever is blackmailing you. But as I cannot prove that, the fact that you're barren simply gives me an easy excuse."

Anora stood up and nervously paced._ I will not let him put me aside!_ She turned to Aedan hanging her head in pretended defeat. "All right, you win. I just need some time. It will be a difficult discussion and I just do not feel up to having it right now."

"I would be more than happy to have the conversation for you."

"No! No. I am the one who needs to tell her. I…I made the decision. I need to be the one to tell her, just please, can you let me have a week?"

"Then I give you one week," Aedan said as he left the room.

Anora looked out the window once again. _Time, I just need time._

**~oOOo~**

At Sebastian's insistence, his most trusted coachman took Val, Leliana, and Varric to Kirkwall. After spending one night in Kirkwall, Val, and Leliana boarded a ship bound for Denerim. They arrived there eight days after they left Starkhaven.

During the journey Leliana and Val had agreed to go to the palace and speak with Aedan. Leliana had never trusted Anora. She was positive that her position as one of Aedan's Blight companions would be sufficient for Aedan to grant an audience without raising too much suspicion, even though Aedan knew what her position was in the chantry. The did, however, need an identity for Val. Fortunately, while everyone knew the Champion's name, very few Fereldans knew what she looked like. After some thought Val decided to go as Sister Solana Carver, Leliana's close friend and traveling companion.

They arrived in Denerim at dusk and paid for two rooms at the Gnawed Noble. Then, somehow, and Val wasn't sure she wanted to know, Leliana was able to obtain Chantry robes for Val to wear. The next morning Leliana penned a note to Aedan and paid a courier to take it to the palace.

Val rose at dawn and, after breakfast with Leliana, went to the marketplace. It looked much as it did when she was fifteen. Even the dwarven armorer's stand was where it had been when she had her encounter with King Maric. Val smiled to herself. _Who would have thought that that impertinent young girl would later become his wife? _Somehow, being here in the marketplace made her feel that Maric was close by, as if he stood by her side.

**~oOOo~**

It was a gloriously sunny morning, but however bright the sun shone, it failed to penetrate the darkness in Aedan's mind. It had been eight days and Anora had not spoken to Clodovea. The previous night he informed his wife that if she had not spoken to the woman by sundown today, he would take the report to his Seneschal.

_I had hoped it wouldn't come to this. Whatever information Clodovea has must be worse than my putting her aside. _

Aedan tried to turn his attention back to the latest reports from the Bannorn, but his anger suddenly boiled over. He slammed his fist on the table and growled. "Maker, what in the void is that woman hiding?"

The silence following his outburst was broken by three quick knocks on the door.

This was the knock of his chamberlain. _Wonderful, more work._

"Enter, Alban."

Alban Hill was a tall, slender, distinguished looking man. His full head of white hair, the lines on his face and creases near his deep brown eyes, showed a man of many years. He had been Maric's chamberlain for the last eight years of his reign, and then he became Cailan's. Aedan, however, was reluctant to keep him on, but he didn't want to give the job to Eamon, either. That Anora didn't particularly care for him was what ultimately led Aedan to retain him. He never regretted the decision. Alban was patient, fair-minded, not easily ruffled, and as wily as a fox.

"Your Majesty, I received the following note from a courier. It is from a woman named Leliana."

Surprised, Aedan took the proffered letter. "Please, Alban, have a seat. I will want to speak with you after I read this."

"I will wait, your Majesty, but I prefer to stand, if that is all right."

Aedan smiled. Alban had never sat in his presence no matter how many times Aedan asked. "You know, Alban, one if these days I will order you to sit down."

Alban nodded his head and smiled. "And if His Majesty gives such an order I will quickly obey it."

Aedan chuckled as he unrolled the note:

_To His Royal Majesty, Aedan Cousland,_

_No matter how many times I have written that it still seems strange, it feels like the Blight was only yesterday and you were teasing Alistair about being a Royal Bastard. _

_I know it has been several years since we last corresponded, and I am to blame. It seems that time passed without my notice. I could say that my presence in Ferelden is to rectify my unintentional silence, but no, mon cher, it is not. My companion, Sister Solana Carver, and I have come to Ferelden for your council on a matter of extreme urgency. _

_Though this letter is informal, our request for an audience is not. Sister Solana and I are staying at the Gnawed Noble and hope that you will grant our request._

_Yours,  
Leliana _

Aedan turned to Alban and handed him the note. "Please schedule an audience today, for Leliana and her companion, Sister Carver."

The man nodded. "Before or after lunch, Sire?"

Aedan thought a moment. "During. We will take lunch in the sunroom. Please do not include Her Majesty."

The chamberlain bowed. "Your Majesty." Then he left the room.

The king looked out the window. "What are you up to, Leliana?"

**~oOOo~**

Varric was happy to be back in his suite at the Hanged Man. _However comfortable the Palace had been, it wasn't…here. _Varric shook his head. _Homesick for Kirkwall? Who'd have thought that would happen?_

After Leliana and Val left for Denerim he sent Sol a note:

_~Sore Foot_

_I have returned and bring you and yours tidings of companionship._

_I was sorry to hear about your foot injury and I stand ready to help. You know me: always willing to provide aid and assistance to those in need. I won't have the first vial of Mom's Carbuncle Cream for a few days; I will let you know when it arrives._

_~Mama's Boy_

**~oOOo~**

Leliana and Val arrived at the palace, as requested, just before lunch. The chamberlain led them to the sunroom, where a decadent looking lunch had been spread and the king stood. Alban bowed and left and both women curtsied.

"Please rise," Aedan said in a friendly tone.

Leliana smiled. "The years have been kind to you _mon cher._"

Aedan smiled. "And you _ma belle barde_ seemed to have stopped aging altogether."

Aden and Leliana embraced. Then Leliana gestured to Val. "Where are my manners." Please meet Sister Solana Carver."

Val curtsied again. "It is a privilege to meet you, Your Majesty."

Aedan's eyebrow rose as he looked at Val.

Leliana caught it and waited.

Val waited patiently and tried to look suitably humble.

Aedan smiled and gestured to the table. "Please, let us sit down. I am eager to hear why Sister Nightingale and the Champion of Kirkwall need my counsel."

**~oOOo~**

**AN: Thank you to all who continue to follow this tale. Special thank you to my beta, Shakespira for her support and assistance. It means a lot to me.**


	2. Not all surprises are good ones

**The cover art is a portrait of Val Theirin and is a gift from the immensely talented LadySeika (who can be found on dArt). I cannot thank her enough!  
**

**AN** is at the end.**  
**

**~oOOo~  
**

**Chapter 2. Not all surprises are good ones  
**

Val managed to hide her surprise and tried to maintain her cover. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but you are mistaken; I am not the Champion." _How could he know who I am?_

Aedan sat down and looked into Val's eyes, his green eyes twinkling with humor. "You may no longer consider yourself the Champion, but you are Valentina Hawke."

Val sighed inward. _Clearly he knows who I am; denial is pointless._ "How did you know? I don't remember ever meeting you, Your Majesty, and I doubt my looks are well known outside of Kirkwall."

Aedan leaned back. "I saw you in Lothering, after Ostagar. Once when you were in Dane's Refuge having a serious conversation with Barlin, and again when you were haggling with that unscrupulous merchant. Well not exactly haggling; I believe you threatened his manhood if he didn't lower his prices. Although, as I recall, your language was far more colorful."

Val arched an eyebrow. "How can you remember me from over ten years ago?"

"Hmm, how can one forget a stunningly beautiful woman telling a merchant that either he would cut his prices or she would 'hack off his useless effing balls and shove them up his arse.' "

Leliana began to laugh.

Val shook her head, remembering the exchange. _Me and my mouth. _"You weren't seeing me at my best Your Majesty."

Aedan grinned. "On the contrary. I thought you were brilliant, that's why I wanted to know who you were. Barlin told me your name, but nothing else. I had hoped to see you before we left, but that wasn't to be. By the way, the fool went back to charging outrageous prices. After we came out of Dane's Refuge we saw a Chantry sister arguing with him. I convinced him to be reasonable, although I didn't threaten his manhood."

Val lowered her head for a moment then looked up. "I never was known for my diplomatic skills."

"Was it an empty threat, then?"

"No. I would have done it. I was desperate."

"So were we all, Hawke."

**~oOOo~**

_Eight days earlier…_

"Sketch isn't particularly fond of storytellers."

Maric smiled at Leliana. "I'm glad Varric didn't hear that. What does he have against them?"

Leliana appeared to be searching for the right words. "Sketch is not… very… adventurous. He prefers to stay in the background. Some storytellers have built him up so much that it has become difficult to remain there."

Renna looked puzzled. "Then why did he agree to come with us?"

"He believes in what we're trying to do. He may be bookish…and nervous… but do not underestimate his abilities. While the storytellers have gone way too far, he is a very powerful mage."

Sketch arrived in Starkhaven four days after Val, Varric, and Leliana had departed. Maric and Sebastian met him in the palace courtyard. He was slight of build, like so many elves, and one would almost call him boyish except for the hard, faintly distrustful, look in his brown eyes.

Sebastian smiled. "Welcome to Starkhaven."

Sketch gave a quick nod. "Thank you, Your Highness." He agreed to join this expedition but he was uncomfortable about staying in the palace. _He couldn't help but think that an elven mage staying in a palace would stand out as much as a revered mother in a brothel. _There seemed little help for it and he reluctantly agreed to stay on in the palace.

"Please, call me Sebastian. You're quite welcome."

Maric held out his hand, his smile warm and welcoming. "I'm Maric. Pleased to meet you, Sketch. Thank you for agreeing to join us."

Sketch was taken aback by the genuineness of Maric's greeting. Startled, he shook Maric's hand. "You are welcome, Maric. Leliana didn't go into much detail about who you all are. You are Hawke's husband...right?"

"I am indeed. You will meet Renna, Zevran, and Terrie at supper. Let me show you to your room so you can have a chance to settle in."

Sketch found that his room was in a less occupied wing of the palace, near the palace library. _Peace, quiet, and books._ He gave his first genuine smile. "Thank you. Maric, this is…perfect."

Maric smiled. "Sebastian and I had hoped this would be more to your liking than the busier wings of the palace."

Sketch nodded his head. "It is. Thank you for…understanding."

Maric was relieved. "You're very welcome! After supper our team will meet and discuss final preparations. I hope to leave for Andoral's Reach in two days. Will that pose any problems for you?"

Sketch shook his head. "Not at all. You know I'm not the adventurous type, but the plight of mages angers me enough that I want to plunge headfirst into this war."

Maric nodded. "I will see you at supper then?"

It wasn't until that moment that he recognized Maric and the shock made him feel a bit dizzy. He was the image of the royal portrait he had seen of King Maric early in his reign.

"Of…of course, Lord Theirin."

In addition to being called Lord Theirin, Maric noticed that Sketch suddenly looked unsure, so he smiled encouragingly. "Just call me Maric. I hate titles."

The elven mage found it hard to equate this easygoing man who was called "Maric" by servant and lord alike with the King Maric of legend, so he smiled in return and quickly slipped into his room.

**~oOOo~**

Varric was pleased to receive such a quick response from Sol.

_Mama's Boy~_

_The carbuncle cream is eagerly awaited and very much appreciated! When you receive it, just send it along. In fact, please send all you can, even if it takes several deliveries. This foot is a like a plague._

_~Soon to be less sore, foot._

The first of Cassandra's seekers were to arrive tomorrow. They couldn't live at the Hanged Man so Varric had set up a few places in Lowtown for them to stay until it was their turn to go. Varric planned on sending one or two at a time, trying to make the intervals and numbers as random as possible. It would take time, but it would raise the least amount of suspicion. He knew that all new soldiers met with Cullen first; Cassandra's seekers would identify themselves to Cullen by mentioning a small nagging pain in a limb or appendage for which they have found a great remedy.

Varric sat back and chuckled. _This story is just writing itself_.

**~oOOo~**

Maric was seated at the head of the conference table in the council chambers waiting for everyone to arrive. He was pleased that dinner had gone smoothly. Terrie and Renna happily chatted, and Zevran engaged Sebastian in a lively debate about poisons. Sketch didn't actively participate in the discussions and, while he looked more relaxed, Maric could tell that the mage was closely observing his new companions.

When everyone was seated, Maric began, "Varric and Sebastian have worked out the fastest way to Andoral's Reach. It involves taking a boat down the Minanter to Hunter Fell, then traveling on horseback the rest of the way. The boat trip will take three to four days and then a ten-day ride to Andoral's Reach. I feel that this is a vast improvement on thirty-five days on foot. I know Renna and Zevran can sit a horse." He looked at Sketch and Terrie. "Am I right in believing that neither of you can ride?"

Sketch and Terrie nodded.

Maric smiled reassuringly. "Worry not, Varric and I took that into account just in case. One of you can ride with Renna and the other can ride with Zevran."

"Ah yes, my Rakish King, your muscles, while beautiful to see, make you too large to share a saddle."

Terrie looked relieved. Sketch just looked nervous.

Maric said softly, "Sketch? If you can't do it just say so, we'll think of something else."

Startled he looked at Maric. "You would do that?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

Sketch looked relieved. "I can ride with either Renna or Zevran."

Maric arched an eyebrow.

Sketch caught it. "Sorry, I only know you as Maric the Savior, from legends."

"Unfortunately, stories always grow in the telling."

Sketch gave a genuine smile. "I can attest to that.

The former King hated being called Maric the Savior; as evidenced by Sketch's concerns, most of the tales were rubbish, and he assumed Loghain's hand in some of them. Maric knew the part he played in the rebellion and how naïve he was at the outset. It was Loghain who'd helped him focus and move forward. _What happened to that Loghain?_

It had only been a month since he and Val had left Vigil's keep, only a month since his violent confrontation with his former friend. Those memories, still fresh, began to intrude…

"_Loghain, do you know how Cailan died? When I finally met Alistair the first thing he told me was that if I hadn't 'buggered off' an Ogre wouldn't have squashed Cailan like a grape, and the darkspawn wouldn't have displayed his naked body like a trophy, leaving it to rot!"_

_He saw Loghain flinch. Clearly he hadn't known what had happened to Cailan's body._

_"Surprised? You left my son, the son of your best friend, the son of a woman you loved, at the hands of the Darkspawn. You left him to rot!" Maric screamed as he drew his sword. "TO ROT!"…_

Coming back to the present Maric felt his stomach clench. _I came close to killing the man who had once been my best friend, the man who murdered my son; it was only because of Val's actions that Loghain still lives. _

Resolutely, he pushed those thoughts and feelings to the back of his mind, and continued with the meeting. "I suggest Renna take Terrie and Zevran take Sketch. Any objections?"

"Will sharing my saddle be alright with you, my slender mage?"

Sketch grinned at Zevran. "Oh, ho. You are going to be an interesting travel companion."

Zevran simply grinned. "I am."

**~oOOo~**

Andraste was sitting across from Merenwen. She had brought the Keeper into the Fade because she desperately needed guidance. Andraste had learned that Merenwen, of all the awakened elves of Revas, had the best understanding of present-day Thedas. Whether it was because Merenwen had been one of the elves to place the Vimmark eluvian or that she had witnessed the battle for Sundermount between the Imperium and the Arlathan elves, or simply because of Maric's presence in Revas, Andraste couldn't say, but Merenwen had proven herself to be level headed and quite wise.

The Keeper's face was full of concern. "Are Valentina and Maric alright?"

Andraste paused, trying to gather her thoughts, but when she saw Merenwen pale, she nodded her head quickly. "Yes, yes they're fine. Sorry… I brought you here because I need your guidance."

The elven woman's expression was one of complete surprise. "What guidance could I give you?"

"The situation in Thedas had deteriorated far faster than I had expected. There…is no way to reconcile the mages and templars."

"Then there will be a war?"

Andraste nodded.

Merenwen's thoughts quickly turned dark, imaging Valentina or Maric in danger and the sundering of the Veil. "What about the Veil?"

Andraste sighed. "I don't know. Val and Maric will be leading the mages to war against the Inquisition. If the mages win, then the Veil can be repaired, if they loose…"

"The mages cannot stand against the Inquisition alone!"

"No, and they won't. The seekers and templars that are still loyal to the Chantry will assist them. But you and I know that may not be enough."

Merenwen was angry; it was clear in the clenching of her jaw muscles and the hard set of her mouth. "The way those mages have been trained is reprehensible. They will easily fall to templar and seeker powers. This is a war they cannot win."

Andraste sighed. "I know and I believe, deep down, Val and Maric know this too but they will not give up."

"They will fight to the death, I know."

"Merenwen, I know this is going to sound completely ridiculous, but…can the mages be– "

"Retrained?"

Andraste nodded. "I know…crazy."

Merenwen looked thoughtful. "No, not crazy. From what I understand from Alistair, templars are trained to interfere with spell casting and dispel magic. They are trained to focus on the connection between the mage and the Fade.

Andraste nodded. "But the mages in Revas and in Arlathan are not tied to the Fade. Can a templar or seeker affect an Arlathan-trained mage?"

Merenwen said, "I don't know, but I'm sure that Alistair can determine that. The difficult part is what do we do if we're right?"

**~oOOo~**

As they settled in their chairs to eat, Aedan asked, smiling, "To repeat my earlier question what counsel can I provide?"

Leliana and Val exchanged glances then Val began to explain. "Your Majesty– "

He held up a hand. "Please, just call me Aedan."

Val nodded. "Aedan, how much do you know about the issues with the mages and templars outside of Ferelden?"

Aedan's affable expression suddenly became guarded. "I know that Circles have fallen and templars and seekers are breaking away from the Chantry. I expect that there will be war between them, not to mention a civil war in Orlais."

Val nodded. "Aedan, the seekers and templars that pulled away from the Chantry have reestablished the Inquisition and they are running it from the Kirkwall Gallows."

Aedan's eyes widened in shock as he gasped, "Maker preserve us all, the Inquisition! Are you sure?"

Val and Leliana nodded at the same time. Val said, "Unfortunately, all too sure. There's more. Having traveled with mages during the Blight, you are familiar with the Veil, right?"

Aedan nodded.

"Because of the amount of magic being used, the Veil is weakening. In some places it has torn. If the Veil cannot be repaired soon enough, it will sunder."

He remembered his time in the Fade fighting the sloth demon. The thought of that creature, and others, infesting Thedas made Aedan feel ill. "Is there no way to prevent this?"

"That is why we are here, _mon cher. _We, and the seekers and templars that are still loyal to the Divine, will be fighting alongside of the mages as we battle the Inquisition."

Val spoke again, "We have not heard any news from Ferelden, so we hoped that the rebellion had not extended this far south. We need Fereldan mages and templars to join us."

Aedan sat before them in stunned silence. Then he went to the door and spoke softly to one of the servants. When he sat down he said, "Before I say anything else, my Chamberlain has something I want you to read."

Alban walked in and bowed to Aedan and to Leliana and Val. He had a scroll in his hand and Aedan gestured to him to give it to Val.

Val unrolled the scroll and began to read. Her face lost all color as she handed it to Leliana.

Leliana scanned the document then she looked at Aedan, with fire in her eyes. "You dare to separate Ferelden from the Chantry and establish a new one here, _Your Majesty_?"

**~oOOo~**

**AN:** Heartfelt thanks to those who have followed me here, for new readers, for those who have faved, and to **csorciere** and **xseikax** for their reviews. I cannot say this enough, I am also incredibly grateful for my Beta, **Shakespira**. Her suggestions and advice (not to mention her patience as I continue to murder the comma) have made these three stories infinitely better than I could do on my own.


	3. Inquisition, Confrontation, & Carbuncles

**AN: **For new readers, at the end of this chapter, I have inserted the Proclamation to which Aedan is referring.

Thank you to all who are following me on this journey. Sorry for the delay, RL has revolved around graduate school applications. Which turned out to be successful! Updates will be more frequent now.

Special thanks the EasterViolet, xseikax, and csorciere for your reviews. Thanks and hugs to my wonderful beta, Shakespira!

**~oOOo~**

**Chapter 3. Inquisition, Confrontation, and Carbuncles**

Moments after Leliana's angry outburst two of the King's guards entered the room, swords drawn. Aedan quickly turned to them. "Stand down. I'm in no danger."

The older of the two guards trained his eyes on Val before turning to Leliana. Eyes narrowed as he quickly assessed the situation, he realized it was she who had yelled at the king. The guardsman studied Leliana, as if he were assessing her potential threat to Aedan. Concern clear in his voice, he said, "Your Majesty, I highly recommend that we stay inside, near the door."

Aedan shook his head. "No need, Kyle. We are just having a disagreement."

Kyle nodded, albeit reluctantly. "As you command, Your Majesty. We will be just outside of the door."

As soon as the guard's left, Leliana stared at Aedan and while her voice was low, it carried no less venom. She hissed, "Who are _you_ to question the legitimacy of the Divine?"

Aedan was already fed up with the religious dogmatism of Clodovea and her ilk. Having that same self-righteousness spew forth from his friend was like a match to tinder. "_Madam_, need I remind you to whom you are speaking?"

Val knew she had to end this argument before either said something unforgivable to the other. She clasped Leliana's hand and shook it gently; her voice was calm but firm. "Leli, stop. This is not helping."

Leliana didn't react; she and Aedan were too busy glaring at each other. Val sighed, she hadn't thought that she would have to do this with the bard. Reluctantly, she stood and grasped Leliana's shoulder to turn her around. Now facing her, Val's voice rang with command. "Leliana, sit down! Now!"

She started, then sat down and glared at Val. "But the–"

"Enough. If you cannot control your anger, then I suggest you go back to the inn."

Leliana looked at Val in surprise and irritation. "You cannot–"

Val gave no ground; her voice remained calm. "Yes, I can. Have you forgotten who Her Most Holy placed in command?"

Leliana froze for a moment, and then slowly nodded. She took several deep breaths and looked at Aedan, her tone formal but no longer adversarial. "Your Majesty, I apologize for my angry remarks."

Aedan looked at his friend, the anger fading from his expression. "Accepted. Leliana, I should have realized how you would react to this, forgive me. Please, you need to understand how this came about."

**~oOOo~**

After Masurian and Cullen had determined the organizational structure and operations for the Inquisition, the knight commanders and senior seekers sent messages to their troops, instructing them to come to Kirkwall. Most were in Orlais and Navarra and would begin to arrive within a week.

In preparation for the arrival of the full company, Cullen and Masurian began to meet with increasing frequency. The current meeting was the third they'd had that day.

"Cullen, I'm glad you reminded me that not all the seekers and templars were assigned to the current commanders. How do you want to go about integrating those troops?

Cullen tried to look thoughtful at Masurian's words in order to mask the tremendous amount of relief he felt. After he had received Sol's message he knew he needed to create a cover for Varric's infiltrators. To do so, he had brought up the possibility of lone templars and seekers wanting to join the Inquisition; Masurian quickly agreed.

Cullen replied, "The same way I will integrate the existing inquisitors. My plan is to meet every seeker or templar when they arrive so I can determine their talents and skill sets. It will help me create balanced squads. Is there anything in particular you want me to focus on?"

No. I trust your judgment. The biggest problem we have right now is–"

"space" the two men said at the same time.

Cullen nodded. "I believe this is an opportunity to place inquisitors in strategic parts of Kirkwall: The Docks, Lowtown, the Lowtown docks and Darktown."

Masurian looked surprised. "Darktown?"

"Yes. We can't avoid it. That's where the abomination had his clinic and where many apostates hide."

Masurian nodded. "I admit, I hadn't thought about that. But then, that's one of the reasons you are the Lord Inquisitor."

"Thank you." Cullen always looked and felt uncomfortable when Masurian complemented him. _Thankfully, Masurian seems to believe it's my being humble_. "I have made preliminary arrangements pending your review and approval. I estimate that our full company will between 250 and 260 strong. If we bunk four to a room, we can house almost two platoons here. The former Qunari Compound can house a platoon. The Chantry can house about two squads; I can place squad in Darktown and I can house a half of a platoon spread between Lowtown and the Lowtown docks. The Viscount already procured several buildings for us in Lowtown. He will arrange to have them cleared out, and decent furniture brought in. There _will_ be a large disparity between the quality of the living conditions here and Lowtown and Darktown but that cannot be helped."

Masurian thought for a moment. "How did you manage to secure space in the Chantry?"

Cullen shrugged, "I asked the Viscount to make it happen. He is surprisingly persuasive. We cannot quarter inquisitors directly among the nobles, but the squads in the Chantry will give us an inquisitorial presence in Hightown.

Masurian looked pleased before his expression darkened. "Once the men are in place, our first order of business will be to hunt down and rid this city of any remaining apostates. Any mage found in this city will be executed, made Tranquil, or imprisoned."

Cullen slowly nodded. _I am not a monster; I'm trying to save lives. _

**~oOOo~**

Varric sat down and wrote a note to Sol:

_Soon to be less sore, foot_~

_The first delivery of the cream will be here within a couple of days. Mom was able to make extra. I know that your storage space is limited, so I will keep the rest of it here. She told me that no one gets only one carbuncle, so let me know when you need more._

_~Mama's Boy_

He chuckled as he folded the parchment. "I swear these messages are the best part of this odyssey."

**~oOOo~**

Aedan finished explaining the events that led to the proclamation. Leliana was still furious, but she remained quiet.

Val looked at Aedan and smirked, "You don't give a fig about the spiritual situation do you?"

Aedan gave her sheepish grin. "Is it that obvious?"

Val shrugged her shoulders. "Let's just say the proclamation isn't offensive to _me_, so I actually listened to what you said." Val looked at Leliana pointedly.

Leliana visibly deflated and shook her head. "It seems that I have been around Cassandra for far too long."

Val smiled. "I'm glad you said that and not me, Leli."

Leliana smiled at Val. "I can see why the Divine put you in charge." She looked at Aedan. "I'm sorry, _mon cher_."

Aedan leaned across the table and took Leliana's hand. "As am I, my friend."

Val felt a huge sense of relief as she watched Aedan and Leliana make peace. "Aedan, what is going on between Anora and this Grand Cleric?"

"Grand Cleric Clodovea wants to be the new Divine and is blackmailing Anora to do it. Whatever that woman is holding over my wife is serious enough that I had to threaten Anora with putting her aside. Finally, she agreed to confront Clodovea. Anora requested to have until the end of the week to deal with it. If the situation remains unchanged, then I will go to the seneschal tomorrow and begin the process."

Leliana frowned. "Put Anora aside for what reason?"

Aedan was quiet for a moment and said softly, "She is barren and I am not completely sterile." He looked down at his hands, his shoulders hunched in defeat. "We need an heir to the throne. I can't let that situation devolve into another civil war."

Val and Leliana saw the pain on Aedan's face. Val asked softly, "Aedan, if an heir was no longer an issue, would you still want to put Anora aside?"

Still looking down, Aedan was quiet. Slowly he raised his head, his eyes told a tale of disappointment, defeat, and regret. "Five years ago, I would have said no, but she's changed, or I have. I do know that her ability to rule is compromised as she is vulnerable to blackmail."

Aedan stood up and looked out a window. He was quiet for a while; he looked pensive. When he finally spoke it was almost as it he was talking to himself. "I was sure I was doing the noble thing. I couldn't make Alistair king. Considering how Eamon raised him it would have been cruel to force it upon him. I had hoped Anora and I could grow to love each other, and for a while we did, or so I thought." Aedan sighed as he looked at Val and Leliana. "But I was wrong. She hungers for power, and nothing else.I keep thinking about my parents and how much they loved each other. When I was younger, before the Blight, I swore I would never marry anyone I didn't love. Naïve, huh?"

Leliana smiled encouragingly. "No, not naïve. If the Blight never happened you probably would have married some beautiful woman from the Bannorn and had a dozen kids."

Aedan gave a half-hearted smile. "There are times when I wish I could walk away from all this and do just that. But I'm a Cousland; duty first, and my duty is to Ferelden. I know you disagree, Leliana, but the Chantry and Orlais are too intertwined. If the King and Queen of Ferelden have to live by Chantry law, we need to make sure it is the _Chantry_ law and not the law of Orlais. We cannot forget that the Chantry allowed Orlais to enslave us."

"_Mon cher_, the Divine Justinia understands that. She apologized to…to Val saying that the Chantry had failed Ferelden."

Val sighed inwardly relieved that Leliana had caught herself.

"That the Divine admits this is all well and good, but her apology only serves to prove my point: the Chantry chose to let Orlais do as it pleased. This Divine may be sincere, but that's no guarantee that her successor would share that view. It isn't a risk I'm willing to take. That's why I want to uphold this proclamation and why I don't want Clodovea to be the Divine. Maker sake, I don't even want her to be the Grand Cleric, but the Divine Justinia V wouldn't let us choose a grand cleric from among our own worthy revered mothers."

Val listened. _It's times like this when knowing the truth is a real trial. But if I were still living in Ferelden, I would agree with this proclamation for the exact same reasons Aedan has given._

Leliana simply shook her head. "Clodovea is lying about the Grand Consensus being corrupted. Divine Justinia V is the true Divine. I cannot support this schism."

Val could see the irritation in Aedan's eyes and spoke quickly. "Leliana, it is not our place to agree or disagree." She looked at Aedan. "Aedan, we need mages and templars to help us and I don't care if they are from the Ferelden Chantry or the Orlesian Chantry. You now know what we face. Please, help us."

"I want to help you, but Clodovea makes that almost impossible."

Val sat back in her chair and steepled her hands, much like she has seen Varric do countless times. "Then Clodovea needs to be removed."

Leliana realized what Val was saying. She nodded slowly as she looked at Aedan. "Val and I can assist the Crown with this matter, _mon cher. _You will let us help, yes?"

"How can I deny such assistance offered so freely?"

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

** Proclamation to which Leliana is referring: _**From What Once Was Ours: Reconciliation, Chapter 20**_

**By the King and Queen**

**A PROCLAMATION**

_**Let it be known that**__ We have taken into our Royal Consideration the long and difficult relationship between Ferelden and the Andrastian Chantry, whose seat of power resides in the Grand Cathedral in Val Royeaux, Orlais. _

_The Chantry, as represented by the Divine in Val Royeaux, stood silent while the Orlesians perpetrated atrocities against Our subjects in its seven-decade subjugation of Ferelden. Again, the Chantry remained silent when Ferelden, devastated by the fifth Blight, was trying to rebuild. In furtherance of our proclamation, let it also be known that the nation of Orlais did, in fact, plan to use our state of disarray to reclaim its 'lost colony. We made a formal request of the Divine to either confirm or deny these rumors, furthermore, if they were confirmed to assist us in preventing another occupation. Again We were met with silence._

_With the destruction of the Kirkwall Chantry, five years ago, the mages and templars throughout Thedas have started a Holy War. Again, the only sounds from the Grand Cathedral have been silence. _

_After Our Royal Consideration of the matter We believe:_

_**First.**__ The Grand Consensus was wrongly influenced in their elevation of Revered Mother Dorothea, a former Orlesian Bard, to the seat of the Divine. As such, We consider her to be a false Divine._

_**Second**__. The false Divine has further proved her corruption by seeking a way to reverse the Rite of Tranquility._

_**Third**__. The separation of the Seekers and Templars from the Chantry contributes to the already unstable situation in Thedas._

_Therefore, it is clear to Us that the Orlesian Chantry is no longer serving the Maker or his Bride._

_Ferelden, the Birthplace of Andraste, has a sacred duty to ensure that the Maker's work continues, unimpeded by the temporal woes across the Waking Sea. _

_**We do hereby proclaim:**_

_Ferelden will not longer answer to the Orlesian Chantry and its false Divine._

_The Chantry will be reestablished here in the birthplace of Andraste and remain devoted to spreading the Chant, doing the Maker's will and abiding by the teachings of his Bride._

_The Chantry We establish in Ferelden will be the one true Chantry and, as such, will be organized and structured as the Maker intended._

_We recognize Grand Cleric Clodovea as the head of Chantry. She will act as the final arbiter of all spiritual matters in Ferelden. Henceforth she shall be known as the Divine Clodovea the First._

_All temporal matters will remain part of the Royal purview._

_Furthermore, in consultation with Her Perfection, Clodovea I, We have established the following __**strictures and objectives**__:_

_**First**__. Because of the corruption of chantries outside of Ferelden, until We declare otherwise, the Chantry will not accept any foreign brother or sister priests. If they wish to be priests in the true Chantry, they will need to go through the steps necessary to ensure that their re-dedication is sincere._

_**Second**__. Until further notice, foreign-born subjects shall not serve a position in the Chantry higher than "Mother."_

_**Third**__. Because of an insufficient number of Fereldan Templars, recruitment will begin in earnest._

_**Fourth**__. Kinloch Hold will remain the home of the Fereldan Circle of Magi and will be given more support in the guarding of mages._

_**Fifth**__. The Wardens in Vigil's Keep shall continue their exemption from both the Royal purview and the Chantry._

_**Sixth. **__Once We, in consultation with the Divine, determine that Thedas is stable, the Chantry will begin to spread throughout Thedas, bringing comfort to those who suffered under the false Divine and the subsequent Holy War._

_It is Our charge the we must remain vigilant and protect the souls of Our subjects._

_It is with a heavy heart that We find this Proclamation necessary, however Ferelden shall not shirk its duty._

_Aedan Cousland, Rex_

_Anora Theirin Cousland, Regina_

_**From What Once Was Ours: Reconciliation, Chapter 20**_


	4. Sunset

**Chapter 4. Sunset**

On their way back to the inn, Val looked at Leliana and asked quietly, "Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"Don't be silly, of course you can ask, although I can refuse to answer, yes?" Leliana smiled.

"Were…you and the king…"

"No, my friend, Aedan and I were never on intimate terms. We were good friends, but that was all. Aedan is a man of duty and honor, and those were his bedmates during the Blight. I always suspected that he had already given away his heart, but I never was able to prove it."

After they entered the room and put away their wraps, Leliana turned to Val, her expression a combination of contrition and disbelief. "I am truly sorry for what happened between me and Aedan. I…I haven't lost control like that in quite some time."

Val found that _needing_ to issue a command order to Leliana had been somewhat surreal. Leliana was the last person Val expected to lash out, and at a king, no less. "You're very devout and that proclamation came as a complete surprise. That Aedan is also your friend…you must have felt betrayed."

"You understand me well."

"Yes, and no. I do know I would have reacted badly if I were in your shoes. I'm just glad we didn't loose Aedan as an ally."

Giving Val a sly smile, Leliana replied, "We might have if not for you."

Val chuckled. "I'm just glad you listened to me. Imagine if it had been Cassandra."

"I don't envy either you or Maric having to command her." Leliana was about to turn, but she stopped and cocked her head to one side as she looked into Val's eyes. The woman's gaze that twinkled in humor, softened in compassion, was quiescent in reflection, and hardened in battle, had changed into something very different when she commanded her to stop. In that moment it felt as if all that was Val Theirin came together into a powerful force. She felt as if she was seeing Val for the first time.

Val was disconcerted by Leliana's apparent appraisal. "Is something wrong, Leli?"

Leliana's voice was soft and hesitant as she asked, "Would you really have sent me back to the inn?"

Val's expression lost some of its warmth, to be replaced with a cool implacability. "Yes, I would have, under armed escort if necessary. I'm just glad it didn't come to that." Val sat on one end of the sofa, smiling to relieve any remaining tension between them. "We need to find out what Clodovea is using to blackmail our dear Queen."

Leliana was happy for a change of subject and lay on the settee across from Val. Her blue eyes narrowed as she remembered her first encounter with Clodovea. "I met her in Orlais, two days before she left for Ferelden. She is a very disagreeable woman; the only reason Justinia V elevated her to Grand Cleric was because she had no one else she could send to Ferelden. The Grand Cleric and I got into an argument about the roles of the Seekers and Templars. She'll surely remember me."

Val couldn't help but notice the 'had no one to send to Ferelden' comment. _This is the kind of issue that Proclamation will correct. Aedan was right about that. _Her voice full of humor Val smiled. "Good thing you're a bard. You're trained to _sneak_ around."

Leliana rolled her eyes in pretended offense. "I do not sneak. It's called 'stealth.' "

Val grinned. "Yes it is, and it's a skill I will never possess– " Val's brow furled as her conscious mind was suddenly overwhelmed by the memory of their conversation with Aedan. She said softly to herself. "Maker's grace, she wouldn't dare. Would she?"

Leliana was confused. "What are you talking about? Who is _she_?"

Val realized that she had just spoken aloud. "Sorry...it just came to me: Anora wouldn't tell Aedan what Clodovea was holding over her, and when he threatened to put her aside, she grudgingly agreed. Clearly then it's something that Anora really doesn't want Aedan to know."

Leliana followed Val's thought process. "What information would Anora risk being put aside rather than tell Aedan?"

Val's eyes widened as she gasped. "Didn't Aiden say that the one-week deadline was at _Anora's_ request?"

Leliana nodded.

"Shit. She's stalling for time! The only thing that would be worse than being put aside would be being executed. Could it be that she is plotting against Aedan, and Clodovea found out? You know Anora better than I do…"

Leliana was already on her feet shedding her dress to put on her leathers. "Aedan could be in grave danger!"

Val was putting on her boots. "The deadline is sunset."

**~oOOo~**

After lunch with Val and Leliana, Aedan was exhausted. _I've had more than my share of rows without feeling this tired. _He smirked. _Maybe I'm just getting old. _He told his chamberlain that he was going to lie down and was not to be disturbed. He went directly to his bedchamber and fell asleep on top of the covers, still dressed.

**~oOOo~**

Rhovaneth was ill at ease as she sat in her living room having tea with Keeper Merenwen. "I have trained many mages and Adaia Theirin is unlike any of them. Even at the age of nine, her capacity to learn and perform magic is remarkable. When she told me about Feynriel, I knew I needed to talk to you. Merenwen, you lived at the time Arlathan fell and you've spoken at length with Maric Theirin; you know far more about modern day Thedas than I."

The Keeper listened to Rhovaneth and tried to allay some of her friend's fears. "Clearly things have changed over time. For example, we've already seen that we are taller than the present-day elvhen, and none of them have facial hair as the males did during our time. As for Adaia's power, Alistair's elven mother is the Grand Enchanter; a very powerful mage."

Rhovaneth nodded, but Merenwen sensed that there was something else bothering her.

Her voice was soft and hesitant. "Merenwen, Adaia can share her power with me."

The Keeper's eyes widened. "I would ask if you're sure, but clearly you are. Is she aware that she is doing it?"

The elder woman slowly nodded. "It happened last week at the end of our day-long outing. We had gone farther from the Village than usual. I had taken a fall and sprained my ankle. It was painful, but I was tired and didn't have the energy to heal it sufficiently for the long walk back. Adaia has not studied the healing arts in much depth, but held my hand and said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, 'I'll share my power with you.' I was about to tell her it couldn't be done, when I felt her energy inside me as if it were my own. Then it was gone and I was able to heal my ankle."

Merenwen was stunned. "That is unheard of!"

"And she can do it at will. When I asked her how, she said, 'I just imagine seeing a window and I open it.' I don't know the extent to which she can do this. Would you be willing to see if she can share power with you?"

"Yes of course I will. I just wish we also had a human mage nearby."

"I am meeting with her parents tomorrow afternoon while Adaia is at school. They have to be told, although, I'm somewhat worried given what happened the first time I met them."

"Why don't I attend your morning lesson to see if she can share her power with me. Then I can be there for your meeting? "

Rhovaneth's expression reflected her gratitude and her relief. "Yes, thank you Merenwen."

**~oOOo~**

As Val approached the private entrance to the palace she looked towards the gate. _I hope the red-haired guard is on duty…what was his name...Saben! That's it, Kelan Saben. _When she and Leliana had arrived for lunch, they had to wait at the gate until the chamberlain arrived to escort them to the king…

_The guard was at least a half a foot taller than Maric, brawny and seemed to be about her age. When Leliana went to look at a planter of Andraste's Grace, the guard asked Val, in a friendly voice, "Sister Carver, how long did you live in Lothering?" _

_Val's surprise quickly turned to suspicion. 'He is more than he seems, but what and why? Val managed to stay in character. Her eyes widened. "How did you know I lived in Lothering?"_

_He smiled. "By your accent, it also sounds like you haven't been in Ferelden for a while."_

"_Guardsman…?" _

"_Kelan Saben, Sister." _

'_He seemed sincere. Let's see if he's just trying to impress me?' Val smiled shyly, "Guardsman Saben, you're very perceptive." _

_He returned her smile, but said plainly. "I'm trained to be." _

'_He certainly isn't a typical palace guard. If he can tell where I'm from, then I'm fairly sure he knows that I am no chantry sister…_

Val, who decided to listen to her instincts and trust Saben, was relieved to see the Guardsman. _I'm putting a lot of trust in this man, Andraste please let me be right._

He saw Solana Carver approach. Seeing her in leather armor confirmed his belief that she wasn't a chantry sister. _She walks like a trained warrior. _He noticed she wasn't armed. _She looks like something is very wrong. _"Sister Carver, what is the trouble?"

"Guardsman Saben, the king is in danger."

He frowned. _She only mentioned the King, but not the Queen. _Saben couldn't explain why, but he felt that he needed to trust her. He was no longer the affable guardsman as his voice rang with command, "Jenner, Riley! Up front, double-time!"

The two guards arrived within seconds, awaiting Saben's order.

"Man this post and do not let _anyone_ past you without _my_ direct permission. I don't care if it's Teyrn of Highever, no one gets in unless I say so."

Jenner and Riley nodded. Saben put his hand on Val's shoulder and placed his dagger in her hand. "Let's go."

Val secured the dagger and sheath, relieved that her trust was not misplaced.

**~oOOo~**

The trip down the Minanter was uneventful, and gave Maric, Zevran, Renna, Sketch, and Teri a chance to get to know each other. Teri reminded Maric of Loghain during the rebellion: brave, smart, stubborn, and just as taciturn. Sketch was quiet, but Maric caught him, more than once, trying not to smile at some of Zevran's remarks. He could tell that the elven mage had a ribald sense of humor that he wanted to keep hidden. _I suspect that Zevran's presence will make that far more difficult for him._

Zevran looked at Teri and grinned. "So, my moody mage, why do you always frown so?"

"I'm sorry, is there a reason not to? We're only on an impossible mission to save Thedas from its mage-hating self."

Zevran grinned at the sarcasm. "All the more reason to take your pleasures when you can."

Teri's eyes narrowed. "Take my pleasures when I can?"

"Yes." Zevran answered invitingly.

"Well, my pleasure is bringing Adrian Masurian to his knees."

Sketch arch an eyebrow, "I hope he's the right height."

Renna, Zevran and Maric all spit their ale into their mugs as they laughed.

Even Teri cracked a smile.

**~oOOo~**

Anora was looking out of a window in her study. _So, he is taking a nap. He must be feeling unusually tired to do that. Pity he's stubborn enough not to bother having a healer examine him. After sunset it will no longer matter if he gives the report to the Seneschal. Ferelden will need its Queen._

She turned away from the window with a look of satisfaction tempered by regret.

**~oOOo~**

Leliana had entered the Chantry. She remembered the layout of this building having been seriously injured as she tried to rid it of darkspawn. When she saw small clusters of candles she remembered Zevran's remark to Cassandra…

"_You really should tell the sisters to put more candles upstairs. Who knows what kind of unsavory people will take advantage of those dark halls."_

Leliana slipped into the shadows and made her way to the Grand Cleric's bedroom.

**~oOOo~**

Grand Cleric Clodovea was overseeing the packing for her trip to Kinloch Hold. _As the Divine, I will be able to structure the Circle as it should be. My first task will be to appoint a new Knight-Commander. Greagoir, while vastly experienced has let his friendship with Irving cloud his judgment. No mage should have been left alive after Uldred's rebellion. The Rite of Annulment should have been carried out. Maker knows how many maleficarum have been festering there over the last decade, biding their time until they are ready to infest others. _

With the last of her packing finished, the Grand Cleric went to have some tea with the sisters and mothers.

**~oOOo~**

As Maric's group approached Hunter Fell, their senses came under assault. The air was thick with the smell of death, the dust they inhaled held the tang of blood. Unfortunately, none of that prepared them for what they saw: what once was the center of town was now a desolate field of rubble. Desiccating remains were strewn amidst the charred, blood-soaked wood and stone. Some were human, some were elven, some were beings from the Fade, and some were completely unidentifiable.

A very solemn Zevran looked around, and then hung his head and said, quietly, "This reminds me of parts of Ferelden during the Blight. It is something I had hoped never to see again."

Maric, who was standing next to the elven assassin, felt like a boulder had dropped to the pit of his stomach. Zevran's remark hit him hard, and had given life to the stories he'd heard about his blight-ridden homeland. He took a deep but shaky breath then let it out.

Zevran touched his shoulder, "Maric?"

"I'm all right Zev, just…it's just…now I have an image of Ferelden during the blight. You know, there is still a part of me that wishes I had been there, that maybe I could have prevented it."

Zevran frowned, "You cannot do this to yourself my friend. It was a Blight, it would have happened regardless of who was on the throne."

"I know, but seeing this…" He shook his head, then noticed Teri and Sketch clearly looking uncomfortable. "The Veil is sealed here, isn't it?"

Sketch shook his head, "While it isn't the gaping hole it seemed to be have been, it's still unstable."

Maric pointed west. "According to Varric, the western part of the city was spared, that is where we'll find the stables. Let's get the horses and provisions, and get out of here as quickly as possible."

Renna, Maric and Zevran rode the horses, Teri rode with Renna, and Sketch was with Zevran. They were a mile out of Hunter Fell. Maric was about to sigh in relief when Teri gasped, "Stop the horses!"

The three riders pulled their horse up and stopped. Maric looked a Teri; It seemed like she was hearing something. "Teri, what is it?"

Suddenly Sketch shivered. "We need to leave _now_!

The riders didn't question the contradictory command and urged the horses into a full gallop. Teri watched as Sketch turned to look behind them. He raised his staff, waved it in an arc and a shimmering web formed twenty feet back, just in front of the seven shades that had suddenly appeared. The Fade beasts were immediately entangled in it. Sketch waved his hand and the web ignited. Fire, as strong as a dragon's breath, incinerated the shades.

Teri stared at Sketch and then nodded her approval.

Neither Renna, Maric or Zev had seen anything, but they heard and felt the conflagration. Maric called. "Is it safe to slow up?"

"For now." Sketch called back, caution clear in his voice.

Maric nodded his head as he slowed the horse a bit. "What in the Void happened?" After Sketch's explanation Maric said, "We will ride until the horses need rest, and as soon as they are able, we will ride again. I want to put as much road between us and Hunter Fell as quickly as we can."

**~oOOo~**

Saben and Val calmly but swiftly entered the palace: he signaled a servant. "Where are their Majesties?"

"Ser, Her Majesty is in her study and His Majesty is in his chambers taking a nap."

"Please bring the chamberlain here and keep an eye on the Queen. If she leaves her study, do not let her out of your sight."

Val thought that it was an odd order to give a servant until she saw the way his lithe body moved as he walked away. _How many times have I seen Izzy and Zevran move that very same way?_

Alban Hill arrived minutes later. "Saben, what is wrong?"

Saben nodded to Val, encouraging her to speak.

"Ser Chamberlain, I fear the King is in grave danger, the reason is delicate, but time is of the essence."

He arched his eyebrow. "Is this about the Queen's unfortunate situation with the Grand Cleric?"

Val nodded, she didn't even comment on how he knew. "I understand the King is taking a nap. Is that usual for him?"

He shook his. "No, actually it isn't, but he didn't request a healer."

Val felt the blood drain from her face. "Please bring the palace's best healer to the King's bedchamber."

Saben and Val quickly made their way to the king.

**~oOOo~**

After she'd seen the grand cleric leave, Leliana let herself into her quarters. She saw the packed bags. _I'm glad we came when we did. She would have taken the blackmail information with her. It must be packed._ Leliana stood looking at the bags and cases, thinking about where she would have hidden them.

**~oOOo~**

Saben and Val were waiting when Alban arrived with a woman in robes; he knocked on the door of the King's chambers. When there was no response, he pulled out a key and slowly opened the door.

A fully-clothed Aedan was on his side, on top of the covers. Alban gently nudged his shoulder. "Your Majesty. You must wake up."

Val held her breath and let it out when Aedan slowly opened his eyes. His voice sounded sluggish "Alban? What's this about?"

"Your Majesty, we have reason to believe that you are in danger."

Aedan sat up quickly. He put his hands to his head. Anella, the healer quickly went to his side, her hands already glowing a dark blue.

Aedan waved her away, "Anella, I'm just a bit dizzy. I sat up too quickly."

Val stepped forward. "King Aedan, _please_, let Anella examine you."

Aedan started when he heard her. "Val…what in the Maker's name?"

"Aedan, please trust me…"

Aedan nodded slowly and motioned for Anella to approach as he lay back down.

As Anella examined Aedan, Val looked around and realized that she was in the king's bedchamber, the same one Maric would have used during his reign. She suddenly felt the pain of his absence as if a knife had been plunged into her chest. She waged a silent battle with her heart, suppressing the ever-present ache for him, trying to ignore the part of her soul that was missing.

Her attention was drawn back to Aedan as Anella pulled away with a gasp, "Your Majesty, you've been poisoned!"

"What? Are you sure? Never mind, of course you're sure."

"I need to know what the poison is, magic cannot cure you without the aid of an antidote. I can tell you that it appears to have been one you ingested most likely in your food or drink."

Val kept thinking about the sunset deadline, still an hour away. "What time is dinner served Ser Chamberlain?"

"Please call me Alban. Dinner is always served just after sunset."

Without a second thought she took charge, "Anella, you've slowed the progress of the poison?"

"Yes, but not as much as I would like to have."

"Hopefully it's enough. Saben, the man you sent to watch the Queen, I'm willing to bet he knows of poisons, correct?"

Saben smiled without mirth. "I knew you were more than a chantry sister. Yes, Rathson does. I will bring him here."

"Actually, send him to the kitchen to see what he can find. Alban, you need to go to the kitchens as well; you will know if anything or anyone is out of place." Val suddenly realized what she was doing. "I apologize, I am grossly overstepping my boundaries."

Alban simply shook his head. "No apologies, you know more about the situation than I and your orders are exactly what needs to be done."

Val said to him quietly, "The Queen is behind this."

Alban nodded. "I know. Please stay here with the King and the healer. At least I know he'll be safe."

Aedan slowly stood up, Anella at his side in case he felt dizzy again.

He was on his feet and his head felt clearer. He politely waved away the healer. "Anella, I'm all right…for now."

He turned towards Val; his expression was a mixture of confusion, anger, and fear, but his voice was strong, as he commanded, "Val, what is going on?"

Val took a deep breath. "Your Maj–"

"Aedan."

"Aedan, you said that Anora wouldn't tell you what Clodovea held over her. You threatened to put her aside, she _reluctantly_ agreed, asking for a week's time. Is my understanding correct."

"It is."

"Aedan, if the threat of putting her aside was not enough to make her instantly capitulate what else would?"

Aedan's eyes widened. "Nothing save being executed. But what could she have done…" His gaze was now icy as he shook his head. "No. No! You're wrong. She would never poison me."

Val took a deep breath and let it out, keeping her voice calm as she reasoned with the angry king. "Aedan, Anora was the one who requested the time. Even though the deadline is today at sundown, you have no evidence that she has even spoken with the Grand Cleric. Today you suddenly need an afternoon nap, which means the poison has started working. Look at me and tell me you honestly believe this all to be a coincidence?"

Aedan was still angry, it was clear in the set of his jaw and tightness of his mouth. He sharply turned away, stalked over to the fireplace and stared into the flames for several minutes. When he finally turned around, his expression was full of sorrow and regret. "Anella, could you wait outside with the guard."

The healer looked skeptical.

Aedan smiled. "Val will call you if you're needed."

"Very well, your Majesty."

Once the door closed, Aedan sat on the couch and patted the area next to him. "Val, please, sit."

She sat down and looked at him expectantly.

"I know this isn't a coincidence, but I don't want to believe it. We were happy once. I thought I was in love with her, that she felt something towards me. To think that she would try to kill me..." Aedan sighed then squared his shoulders. "How are we going to prove this?"

"I'm hoping Leliana can find the information Clodovea is using for blackmail. She should be in the Grand Cleric's quarters right now."

Aedan grinned. "She was amazing during the Blight. She could walk right in front of you and you wouldn't notice. If there is anything in that woman's quarters, Leli will find it. I just don't know if I want to see it."

"Aedan, there's more. Why do you think Alistair left Ferelden?"

The question surprised Aedan. "He stepped down because he was worried that the Warden's would be exiled from Ferelden. Regardless of what everyone may think, I wouldn't have done it."

"From what I understand, you said that you and Anora would take the idea under advisement."

Aedan frowned and gave Val a dark look. "I did say that, but how do you know that?"

Val matched his look. "Aedan, all palaces have ears. In this case the listeners were very, very good. Alistair left because he feared for his life and the lives of his family."

She could see and feel the rage building within Aedan. Val quietly waited.

"Damn that chantry cow to the void! I would never have laid a finger on Alistair, let alone his family!" Then he had a realization. "You've seen Alistair! Where is he? Is he well?"

Val smiled reassuringly. "Yes, I've seen him and he is doing well, but I cannot tell you where he is; the safety of many depends upon my silence."

"Who else believes that I would try to kill Alistair?"

"Apparently your brother."

Aedan put his head in his hands. "Maker, given all that Fergus has gone through, after losing everyone we loved, for him to think that I would threaten Alistair's family. I can only imagine what he thinks of me now that he's read the proclamation." When Aedan picked up his head, his eyes were red and filled with unshed tears.

"I'm so sorry, Aedan."

His shoulders began to shake as tears streamed down his face. Val wanted to comfort the distraught man, so she gave him a gentle hug. Aedan held on to her like she was a lifeline as he cried.

Val whispered, "I will make this right, I promise."

**~oOOo~**

Leliana had seen nothing that she believed would carry important paperwork. She knew time was running out as she heard Clodovea's voice from the base of the stairs, making it impossible for Leliana to leave through the door. She had already planned an alternate escape route but she didn't want to leave empty handed, especially when she knew the Grand Cleric would be leaving soon. Leliana closed her eyes and gave a prayer to Andraste. When she opened them her attention was drawn to valise, nestled between the bed and the nightstand. Listening for Clodovea, she opened the case to discover it contained twenty files, each labeled with a number and a letter. She tensed, hearing the grand cleric's heavy footfalls as the woman started up the staircase.

**~oOOo~**

Moving through the kitchen like a ghost, Rathson examined the dinner preparations. Everything looked in order, but he smelled something odd that came from a pot currently on the stove. He was about to leave the shadows when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Suddenly blackness claimed his vision as he slumped to the floor. His body was dragged into the shadows.

**~oOOo~**

Fortunately Alban performed a regular inspection of the kitchen during the evening's dinner preparations, so his appearance wasn't unusual. He stood, as he always did, near the pantry door. Looking around, he didn't see anyone he didn't recognize and no one was doing anything unusual. _I hope Rathson is having better luck._ He kept watch as a shadow moved behind him.

**~oOOo~**

'One…two…' Leliana counted silently. Given Clodovea's pace, Leliana knew she had one minute to reach the window that would take her to the roof of the Chantry.

_Five…six…seven…eight…_

Looking at the labels, she was frustrated that there didn't appear to be any kind of pattern. She decided to look through the four thin files first.

_Fifteen…sixteen...seventeen…_

Seeing nothing, she looked through the four large files.

Clodovea was reaching the top of the stairs.

_Thirty four…thirty five…_

**~oOOo~**

Saben stood, partially hidden in the doorway of the kitchen. He saw Alban standing in front of the pantry about ten feet away. Saben glanced around to find Rathson, then looked back towards Alban in time to see the man fall. He drew his sword. Letting out a cry that stunned the kitchen staff, he charged toward the area near the pantry, his size blocking the path to the door. He saw a shadow move quickly toward the windows. Grateful for his training in all weapons, Saben pulled out a lethal dagger from its sheath on his belt and flung it at the shadow.

**~oOOo~**

_Forty-five…forty-six…_

The last file contained a clutter of seemingly unrelated paperwork, among which she found what looked like pages from a journal.

_Fifty...fifty-one… _

On instinct Leliana grabbed the file and put the case back.

_Fifty-five…fifty-six…_

She unlocked the window as the she heard the key enter the door's lock.

_Fifty-seven…fifty-eight…_

Clodovea opened the door and walked into her chambers. She looked around, satisfied that the packing was completed.

Leliana climbed down the back corner of the Chantry storage area and quickly moved off the chantry grounds. Once she was safely away and in the Denerim market, she moved towards a shadowed corner and opened the file.

**~oOOo~**

Aedan had no more tears to shed. He let go of Val and stood up. "Val…I…I'm…"

Val smiled. "Please sit down, Aedan. I've had many a friend cry on my shoulder."

Aedan looked sheepish, but sat back down. Just as he lack back, he grimaced, clutching his stomach and moaning, his face ashen.

Val yelled "Anella!"

**~oOOo~**

When the knife hit its target, the shadow disappeared, revealing a blond-haired, clean-shaven man in black leather. His aim was true and the dagger lodged itself in the man's shoulder, incapacitating him, but not killing him. Saben grabbed the man by the arm by his damaged shoulder and pulled him up. The assassin was clearly in pain but didn't scream. Instead he looked determinedly into Saben's eyes.

"Where is the antidote?" Saben growled.

The man tried to smile, and said. "_Uno spadaccino__che__può lanciare__un pugnale__. __Notevole__._"

_Antivan. Maker he's a Crow! "__Sì.__Io sono. _A dagger-throwing swordsman is not the only remarkable thing about me." The Crow's eyes widened and Saben smiled. "Perhaps we can continue this conversation in my language. Now. Where is the antidote?"

"_Amico mio,_ if you know I'm a Crow then you know torture will not work on me."

Other guards had already arrived, along with a healer who tended to Alban.

"Donell," Saben called, "Come here and search this bastard. Marsh and Wick, guard the King and have his visitor escorted to the kitchen. Hanson, join Champ and guard the Queen, do not let her out of your sight and do not let her know the real reason you are following her. If she asks tell her it's one of my drills."

**~oOOo~**

Leliana looked at the parchments; they were indeed from a journal and as she read, she knew it was Anora's.

_**17 Haring, 9:39 Dragon**_

_I'm glad I have an ally in the Grand Cleric. She also sees the danger posed by the Warden-Commander and his daughter. As long as they live they are a threat to my rule. I'll give this task to Fallon; Rendon always spoke highly of his skills. Once they are taken care of, the issue of an heir will be far less important._

_Aedan would never understand. He may have been willing, albeit not overjoyed, to exile the Wardens if that is what it took to protect Ferelden, but he would never have had guts to carry out what really needs to be done. _

_**19 Haring, **_

_The Theirins left Amaranthine, and my father is coming back to Ferelden! Nathaniel Howe is now in command. How could Alistair have known? _

_**20 Haring,**_

_Aedan received a note from his brother. The Teyrn is furious at Aedan for even thinking about exiling the Wardens, and for driving Alistair away. I'm glad Fergus thinks that Alistair left for the good of the Wardens. _

_Aedan may not care about securing the throne, but I do. I have come too far to be put aside or usurped by Alistair and his child. The people in the Bannorn are worried enough to consent to a knife-ear queen. No. Ferelden is mine. _

_**28 Wintermarch**_

_Alistair and his family are nowhere; it's like they fell off the face of Thedas. None of my contacts have heard anything. Nothing from Antiva or Navarra, even Orlais. I know they won't step foot in Tevinter. Where are they?_

_I can't wait any longer. I need to act. There are plenty of rumors of a Warden's being sterile, and I will not suffer the blame I did while Cailan was alive. I have to secure my throne some other way and this time with no Regent! _

_I think it's time to visit my Antivan friend. He's never let me down. _

_**30 Wintermarch**_

_Aedan's appetite is going to be the death of him. Helpful that. Alas, I will miss his bedroom talents, but I won't have to worry about that for a few months._

**~oOOo~**

**AN**: I promise not to leave you in suspense for long. Thank you to all my readers and reviewers and a huge thank you to my beta, Shakespira.

**Translation note via Google translate**: _Uno spadaccino che può lanciare un pugnale_. _Notevole = _A swordsman who can throw a dagger. Remarkable.


	5. Hell hath no fury like a handler scorned

**Chapter 5. Hell hath no fury like a handler scorned.**

Anella and Val managed to help Aedan to his bed. His pallor reflected the excruciating pain he was suffering. He tried to roll on his side, but his energy was quickly waning.

Anella examined him and gave him a healing draught. Watching his face, Val could see the pain lessen and Aedan quickly fall asleep. The healer sat down, clearly tired. "I had to try to slow the poison's progression…again. It shouldn't have taken hold again so quickly."

"Could the taint be accelerating the poison's effect?"

Anella looked uncomfortable, she had been instructed by the King never to divulge any information about the taint.

"Anella, my sister is a Grey Warden."

She sighed heavily and shrugged. "Yes, it's quite possible. If so, there is no way to predict how long we have."

It was just then that two guards entered the bedchamber. They were both brawny men, although not as large as Saben. One man was fair-skinned with white hair and blue-eyes, while the other was dark-skinned with brown eyes and black hair. Under any other circumstances, Val wouldn't have been able to resist making a comment, but not now. Now all she could do was move forward.

The white-haired guard spoke, "Commander Saben wants us to bring you to the kitchen."

Val quickly stood and looked at the healer. "Let's hope I can find some answers."

"Maker, I hope so."

**~oOOo~**

Leliana arrived back at the palace gate. "Please, let me through, I have information that may save the king's life.

Guardsman Jenner replied earnestly, "I'm sorry, My Lady, we have been ordered not to let anyone in without Commander Saben's direct permission."

_It seems the palace is on alert. _"Do you know why?"

The other guard, Riley, gave Leliana a hard stare. "My Lady, we do not question the Commander's orders."

Leliana's frustration level rose sharply. "Surely you know something of what is going on?"

Jenner looked apologetic. "All I can say is that the Commander went into the palace with a black-haired woman in leather armor."

_Val! Thank Andraste she's there, but I must get this information to her_. Leliana hated to reveal herself but she didn't hesitate to remove a piece of leather from her chest-piece, revealing the holy symbol of the Order of the Seeker's of Truth."You _will_ let me through and escort me to Commander Saben at once."

Jenner and Marsh were both wide-eyed. Marsh blinked first and said, "Jenner, get her to the Commander."

**~oOOo~**

Val arrived at the kitchen and saw Saben in a corner holding up a man in black leather while a healer leaned over Alban. Val noticed the healer's hands glowed blue. _The exact shade as Anders'._ Val pushed away the memory but it hovered at the edges of her consciousness, like pinpricks constantly stabbing into her, reminding her of another time. She took a deep breath, knowing that there wasn't time to deal with it; she did the only thing she could: Val retreated into the protective shell of the Champion.

She went to Alban first. "Healer, report."

Her cold and commanding voice quickly caught the healer's attention. "He's been stabbed in the side. He's lost a lot of blood, but will pull through." Two men arrived with a litter; once Alban was secured in it he was carried away. The healer followed.

Val walked over to Saben who was sitting on the ground holding a man in a vice-like grip. Another guard was binding the man's hands and feet. Val noticed his expensive looking black leather armor. He was blond-haired with golden brown skin, which highlighted the tattoo on his face. Val recognized it. It was nearly identical to Zevran's. "Ah, I see we are dealing with an Antivan Crow. What is your name?"

The Crow looked at Val and smirked. "I had heard that the Champion was responsible for a murder of Crows, so to speak. You are the last person I expected to encounter here. You may call me Feo."

Saben's eyes widened at the mention of Solana's true identity as the Champion of Kirkwall, a woman named Hawke.

Val didn't react. She knelt in front of Feo. Her expression was completely devoid of emotion. "Yes, I was responsible for eliminating Nuncio and he cell. I have extensive knowledge of your strengths."

Feo gave Val a cocky grin.

Val's leaned a bit closer. "And your weaknesses. So tell me, what poison did you use?"

Feo sneered at Val, but said nothing

"And how is Ignacio?"

Feo's expression only very briefly reflected his surprise, but it was enough for Val to know who she was really dealing with.

With an expression of hauteur, he scoffed, "What do _you_ know of Ignacio?"

Val's expression and voice were cold and controlled. "I know enough to be sure that he would be very unhappy to know you were captured…by a palace guard no less. Tsk, tsk. You were sloppy, Feo."

"This is no mere palace guard, he threw a dagger."

Val pretended to look surprised and lied. "You didn't know that all the palace guards have been trained to do that?" She shook her head. "Your study of the mark's environment was poorly done."

Feo didn't speak, but Val could tell that he was beginning to worry. She had met Ignacio once in Ferelden, then again in Kirkwall after the incident with Nuncio. Ignacio took his business as a handler very seriously, and Nuncio had decided to take his crew and become independent. He was grateful for her work in quickly dispatching the rogue Crows, even at the cost of Zevran going free.

"You realize that all you are succeeding doing is making Ignacio look bad?"

The Crow tried to appear defiant; he spat at Val, which she handily sidestepped. "What do I care about the words of a Fereldan _putana_?"

Saben was about to punch the man, but Val quickly shook her head at him. Instead, Saben remained silent and let the Champion talk.

Val ignored the slight. A smile blossomed on her face. She looked like a predator awash in a sea of prey. "Because I can bring him here to deal with you personally."

"You lie!"

"Are you really willing to take that chance? If you tell me what I want to know then I will leave Ignacio out of this."

Leliana arrived just in time to hear the man refer to Val as the Champion. _Well no use in calling her Solana. _"Hawke, I have the information."

Val looked at the Crow. "Why don't you think about that for a minute. I'll be right back."

Her friend's calm and calculating expression unnerved Leliana. She quickly handed her the parchments.

Val shook her head as she read through Anora's journal entries. She turned back to Feo, gesturing to the parchments. "Your incompetence has not only exposed you, but I now have written confirmation that it was Ignacio who was approached." She knew that was only partially true, but the look on the Crow's face gave it all away. She went to the assassin and knelt down. "Have you thought about my offer?"

**~oOOo~**

Anora left her study and noticed that the guards were following her. Annoyed, she turned around and snapped, "I need no escort, go back to your posts."

"Your Majesty, we have been ordered by Commander Saben to guard you."

A momentary panic gripped Anora. _No. Even if with Aedan sick there is nothing tying it to me. That information is still with Clodovea._

Trying to remain calm, so as not to alert the guards, she answered glibly, "Ah, this is another one of the Commander's drills, isn't it?"

They simply nodded.

Anora smiled "You poor men. Well come along, then."

**~oOOo~**

Aedan was in and out of consciousness. The only sounds in the room were his labored breaths. Anella was exhausting herself attempting to keep ahead of the poison's effects. _Merciful Maker, we are running out of time._

**~oOOo~**

Feo studied Val's face; her expression was blank once again, making it impossible for the assassin to determine if she was telling the truth. After assessing his rather dismal set of options, he tried to buoy his courage with bravado. "Taking chances is part of being a Crow and I do not believe that a _cagna cane signore_ has the power to bring Ignacio _here_."

Val stood up. Fortunately a second marketplace had been established _near_ the palace, Ignacio had moved his wares there so she didn't have to go to the northern part of Denerim._ Its still using precious time, but I'll take what I can get_. Condescension colored her tone. "A Dog Lord's Bitch. Your insults are rather banal, Feo." Val shook her head and continued, "Ignacio should be closing shop in fifteen minutes. I will return shortly."

Feo's eyes followed her as she left. Saben smiled when he felt a tremor go through the assassin's body.

**~oOOo~**

Followed by the two guards, Anora went to the garden. As she had done since childhood, she watched the sunset. There was something about the intense reds and gold of a sunset that had always captured Anora's imagination. When she was a child she'd thought that the Maker painted them and, to her young mind, that made sunsets very special. When Cailan courted her, sunsets were romantic, filling her girlish heart with blushing smiles.

In the aftermath of Cailan's death and the Blight, sunsets brought relief as it meant that she had survived another day. As she looked at _this_ sunset, she was filled with satisfaction. _Tomorrow will welcome Ferelden's sole monarch. No regent, no Theirin to challenge me. I'd worry about Fergus, but his brother-in-law is a mage._

**~oOOo~**

Ignacio was still in the marketplace. Val quickly approached him. Her voice was business-like. "Good afternoon, Ignacio."

Hearing Hawke's unmistakable voice, he looked up. He quickly noticed her gaze. He had seen that look before; it was quickly followed by the decimation of Nuncio's rogue cell. "Hawke. What can I do for you?"

Val leaned against the post with her arms crossed. Out of respect for Ignacio, her approach was indirect. "What would a Crow handler do if he found that that one of his Crows not only failed to kill his mark, but bungled his reconnaissance badly enough to be captured, and to expose his handler and the client?"

His eyes narrowed. _Feo! Damn you to Void! _"If one of mine were to do such a thing, I would make _life_…very difficult for him."

"Ignacio, I need vital information from Feo that he has been reluctant to give. If the King dies, you will be exposed because of your ignorant assassin, and I won't be able to stop it. Would you be willing to accompany me back to the palace? I am happy to hand him over to you after we have what we need.

"You would release him to my custody? Why?"

"Because I think you should have a chance to deal with your own, and because I want him to experience more than a simple execution."

Ignacio grinned. "I am pleasantly surprised to find out how ruthless you are. I must ask, however, would I not be just as exposed if I walked into the palace?"

"I will personally ensure your safety and anonymity."

**~oOOo~**

The longer Val was away the more frightened Feo became. _Maybe she was not bluffing. _

Leliana smiled. "You are beginning to believe the Champion, yes?"

Between the fear and the pain, Feo broke out into a cold sweat.

**~oOOo~**

Jameson, the second healer, was now in the King's bedchamber with Anella. Between the two of them they worked ceaselessly to keep the King alive. But they both knew that if they didn't find out the type of poison - or the antidote - soon there would be nothing they could do.

Jameson looked at Anella. "How long?"

Anella sighed. "A half an hour, _maybe_ forty five minutes if we're lucky.

**~oOOo~**

Guardsman Marsh came into the kitchen, "Commander, the Champion has returned and brings a cloaked and hooded man. She asked that you, Commander, and…" He gestured to Leliana, "…the Seeker be the only ones in this room."

Feo's whole body shook in terror. _She was not lying!_

Saben commanded. "Everyone clear out, now!"

It was just Leliana, Feo, and Saben when Val walked in. She looked at Saben, speaking with authority. "You will promise not to divulge the identity of this man to anyone, ever. Otherwise we will not be able to save the King."

Saben nodded and a man entered the room, his faced concealed by the hood of his cloak.

Ignacio pulled back the hood; his gaze quickly fixed on Feo.

Feo gasped, then spoke rapidly, _"Bastoni e Bacche di Morte, _that was the poison! Please don't let him near me!"

Saben growled. "What's its Ferelden name, and what is the antidote?"

Ignacio spoke. "You would know it as _Iùr Nimh,_ Yew poison. There is no antidote, but your mages should be able to purge his system of this now that they know what they are looking for."

Val looked at Saben, her voice was cold as she said, "Have the Seneschal get this filth's confession, then see him and Ignacio out, safely and unseen." As she bolted out of the kitchen, she heard Feo scream.

Saben didn't like it but he knew why all this was necessary_._ He knew quite a lot about the Crows and how they operated in Ferelden. He recognized that while often the enemy, sometimes they needed the Crows to be allies. Besides, the terrified scream of the assassin was music to his ears. He looked at Ignacio. "The pantry is the best place for you to hide until this is all done. Then I will show you both out as the Champion promised."

Once Ignacio was in the pantry, Leliana looked at Saben. "The Grand Cleric was the one blackmailing the Queen; these parchments are from the Queen's journal. In her own hand she wrote about her plan to kill the King and the former Warden-Commander of Ferelden." She handed the journal pages to Saben.

The guardsman's face grew angrier as he read each entry. He had never really liked the Queen, but he never thought she would be capable of this. "As soon as the Seneschal arrives, I will have both the Grand Cleric and Queen Anora taken into custody."

"No, only the Queen; the Grand Cleric must answer to the Chantry for her crimes. I will take care of her."

Saben began to chuckle, "Sister Nightingale, I presume?

Leliana smiled. "You, my friend, are quite well informed.

Saben smiled. "None of us is as we appear."

Leliana nodded, "Farewell Commander. Please tell the Champion I will meet her later."

**~oOOo~**

Val slammed open the door to the bedchamber and said, "Yew Poison…it's Yew Poison."

Anella smiled. "That does not require an antidote, which saves us time. We just need to purge his system, physically and magically." She and Jameson each took strong lyrium potions. Anella, without looking at Val, said, "Bring the chamber pot, it's currently empty."

Anella took a bowl from her bag and conjured a ball of ice in the bowl. Jameson hit the ice with a small blast of fire. Her hands took on a red glow as she put her hand into the warm water, turning it a deep forest green. She poured some into Aedan's mouth messaging his throat so he would swallow it.

Jameson pulled up Aedan's tunic and made a three-inch incision in his abdomen. Anella put her hand back into the bowl and poured it over the incision, which absorbed every drop of the liquid. Jameson healed the wound, then both healers put their hands over the king's abdomen.

Val leaned against the fireplace, watching, willing Aedan to wake up. _Andraste, please, he has to live. _After two interminably long minutes the King's eyes flew open. Anella quickly put the chamber pot in front him. He grabbed it and retched…repeatedly.

Val looked at Jameson, fear clear in her eyes. "Will he live?"

Jameson smiled and nodded. "For the sake of the King's dignity, though, it would be better if you are not present for the rest of this process."

"What?... OH! Right." Val walked out of the room and down the hall. When she was far enough away not to hear the sounds from his room, she leaned against a wall and let the relief flow through her body. She then walked back to the kitchen. _Once the Seneschal has all of the information, Anora and the Grand Cleric will pay for their crimes. _

**~oOOo~**

Leliana was back inside the Chantry. Now that the sun had gone down, the shadows were lengthened. Reaching the Grand Cleric's room, unseen, was effortless. She listened at the door and heard…singing, but it was muffled. Leliana remembered the layout of the room. _Ah, she is in the bath. _

She was able to pick the lock and slip into the room while Clodovea was still bathing, singing a surprisingly bawdy drinking ballad. Leliana shook her head as she stood in the room and waited.

She didn't have to wait long. Clodovea appeared in the doorway in a robe; her damp face turned red with surprise and anger when she saw Leliana. "How dare you come into my room! Leave this instant or I will summon a templar!"

Leliana smiled brightly, ignoring the woman's threat. "Grand Cleric, I'm impressed with how busy you've been."

Clodovea's eyes narrowed as she remembered arguing with this woman in Val Royeaux, but she had not known that she was a Seeker._ One of Justinia's lackeys, I presume, but why is she here? The Proclamation had only been sent to the Wardens, the Circle, and the Teyrn of Highever. There is no way news of it has spread to Val Royeaux. _"I am Grand Cleric, of course I am busy doing the Maker's work. Why are you here, Seeker…."

Leliana said plainly, "Nightingale."

Clodovea paled. Everyone in the Chantry knew about the Left Hand of the Divine.

**~oOOo~**

**AN: **I told you, I wouldn't have you wait too long. :**-)**

All translations are from Google Translate. BioWare owns all, and probably my soul too.

Thank you to all who are reading this tale. Thank you to csorciere, EasternViolet, and xseikax for their reviews, they mean a lot to me. Special thanks to my incredible supportive and patient Beta Shakespira.


	6. From Kira - The story is still alive

Hi all,

I injured my left wrist rather badly and typing is forbidden for the most part. I am write handed so I have been writing things long hand. As soon as my wrist heals a bit more I will post again.

Kira


	7. Blood and Daffodils

_AN at the end_

**Chapter 7. Blood and Daffodils**

The kitchen staff had already returned to their jobs by the time Val walked in, but the tension in the room was palpable.

Saben was still there making sure everything was in order. He looked up when she entered, his gaze asking the question:_ is the King alive?_

Val saw his expression and answered with a smile, and she watched the large man's shoulders relax. Then she nodded her head towards the door, signaling him to follow her. He joined her in the hall outside the kitchen.

"Champion —"

Val held up her head and smiled. "Please, call me Val or Hawke."

Sabin nodded as he held out the parchments. "Hawke, the Queen will be condemned by her own words. Does His Majesty know who poisoned him?"

"Yes and no. He knows the Queen is responsible for trying to kill him and that somehow Clodovea knew this and blackmailed Anora, but he doesn't know about the journal entries. I would like to speak to his Majesty and show him these pages before any action is taken against the Queen. Can you have her...secluded?"

"Of course. She still believes this is part of the drill and won't question the two guards protecting her. They won't allow anyone, not even servants or house staff, near her and she won't expect them to during the drill. She should have no idea what has really transpired. I imagine she'll be quite surprised when she finds out."

Val saw a gleam in his eye. _He's looking forward to this._ "I take it the Queen was not one of your favorite people?"

"I never trusted her."

"Don't you hate it when you're right?"

Saben chuckled, "Yeah."

"Will you come with me when I see his Majesty?" _Where I now have to show him these Void-damned journal entries. Creators, I don't want to add to Aedan's anguish, but I have no choice._

"No. I trust you. After watching you with Feo, I can see how you became the Champion. I'm glad you're on our side."

"At least there is no Arishok to duel."

His eyes lit up. "That was true?"

"Yes, though contrary to the many and varied stories, I didn't tear him apart bare-handed." Val held up the pages. "Wish me luck."

Saben smiled as he watched Val walk away. He thought about the eventual arrest of the Queen. _She always watches the sunset from her garden. I hope she enjoys it. It will be one of her last_.

**~OooO~**

A scarlet pool of blood surrounded the Grand Cleric. The last of her life essence wept from the slashes on her wrists. Leliana looked at the letter and placed it on the nightstand.

She said softly, "Aedan, forgive me, but I must do the work of the Maker."

**~OooO~**

Once the poison was purged from his body, and he'd drunk several healing droughts, Aedan improved quickly. Between Anella and Jameson they were able to tell the King about the assassination attempt, about Chamberlain Alban's injury, and that Ser Hawke was instrumental in determining what kind of poison was used.

Jameson mentioned that he needed to check on Alban, then Aedan told both healers to think of a boon he could grant each of them. Jameson smiled as he bowed and left the room.

Anella stayed behind. "Your Majesty, you may leave your bed any time you wish. I know you have important business to attend to, but please take things easy until you've recovered all of your strength." Her expression became one of amused resignation. "To answer your next question, if you don't follow my advice nothing catastrophic will happen. You'll simply feel extremely tired."

"Anella, you know me too well, although I think you should take your own advice. Your efforts on my behalf were nothing short of heroic. Thank you again."

"I'm glad we were able to save you, Sire."

Once Anella left, Aedan summoned his manservant, Roland, to help him dress. Figuring that his next actions would be official ones, he asked for more formal attire than he would normally wear to a private dinner. Aedan knew he needed to find Hawke and get the whole story so he could decide what to do next. _Which will undoubtedly include arresting my loving wife_. He could taste the bitterness of his own thoughts.

Just as Roland fastened the last clasp on Aedan's blue surcoat, Marsh, one of the King's personal guards, entered and bowed. "Your Majesty, the Champion requests an audience." Aedan chuckled. _It seems her secret is out_. "Please bring her to the sitting room."

Marsh nodded and bowed. "Your Majesty."

"Roland, thank you, I need nothing else for now."

Aedan stood by the fireplace when Marsh returned with Val. Once they were alone, Aedan smiled, "I understand I owe you my life?"

Val looked at the King; although pale, his green eyes were clear. However, she could see the emotional pain that lurked behind them. She smiled and said softly, "You owe me nothing, Aedan; Anella was the one who kept you alive. She and Jamieson healed you."

Aedan gestured toward the sofa. Val sat down and he sat next to her. "I understand from Jameson, that you and Saben captured an Antivan Crow and somehow you were able to determine the poison used."

"Aedan, Saben really deserves the credit. He apprehended the assassin, with a perfectly thrown blade I may add. I asked that Rathson go to the kitchen… that got him killed."

The King shook his head. "It was the right decision to send him there. That this Crow got to him first is unfortunate, but it was a risk that had to be taken. Rathson would be the first to agree."

"I know you're right. I think I'm just… Never mind." She smiled. "The important thing is that you're alive."

Aedan cleared his throat. "Do we have proof that Anora was behind this?"

Val careworn expression answered his question before she could say a word.

She agonized about him having to read the journal pages and hoped she could save him from that. _How can he read, in Anora's own words, her plans to murder him as well as Alistair's family? _"Yes, in addition to the assassin's confession there are several incriminating pages from the Queen's personal journal. Clodovea had them and was using them to blackmail her. The pages detail the real reason why Alastair and his family left."

Val watched Aedan's expression become a mask of misery, his gaze looked like a shroud had settled over his soul. He lowered his head into his hands.

Silence filled the room as Val watched Aedan. Then he slowly lifted his head. His eyes were red, but he wasn't crying, instead he turned to Val and said softly, "I know I'm going to regret this but let me see the journal pages."

"Are you sure, Aedan?"

Aedan closed his eyes briefly then opened them. His voice was rough and hesitant. "No, but I am the King and I have to be her judge in this."

Val handed him the parchments. She watched Aedan's eyes as he read. She knew when he had reached the last words by the flush on his face.

His expression was one of savage fury. His voice was one of disbelief. "She was going to murder a family? She was going to kill a _child_?" Aedan stood up, threw the pages onto his chair, and stalked over to the fireplace. He slammed the side of his fist against the wall. "She will pay for this! I'd execute her myself if I could. Where is she now?"

Val kept her voice calm. "She's with the guards; she believes this to be one of Saben's drills."

"Good, then she has no idea of what's going on." Aedan straightened his surcoat and called for Marsh.

The guard entered the room bowing deeply. "Your Majesty?"

"Bring Commander Saben to me, please."

Marsh heard the anger in the King's voice. "Right away."

Val watched Aedan; he was so enraged that he looked almost feral, as if he were ready to strike. She didn't know Aedan well enough to relax her guard, so she leaned forward slightly and rested her arm on the padded end of the sofa.

To anyone else, it would look like Val was simply trying to get comfortable, but Aedan was also a warrior and saw it for what it was. His voice was suddenly gentle. "You never have anything to fear from me, Val. I would never hurt you."

"I… I'm sorry Aedan. The years in Kirkwall have left me with trust issues. I didn't know how to interpret your body language."

Aidan's shoulders relaxed. "I'm sorry to appear threatening. I —"

Three sharp raps sounded at the door.

"Enter!"

Saben walked in and bowed. "Your Majesty." He stood up and nodded towards Val. "Hawke."

"Saben, where is my_ loving_ wife?"

the Commander caught the bitter anger in the king's tone. "Currently, she is in her study. She will be going to dinner as soon as I end the drill. Do you want me to detain her?"

"No, end your drill and let her go dinner. Alban is still injured so she will ask where he is. Prepare the table staff to tell her that I have not yet come to diner and the Chamberlain went to find me. I want her to feel confident in her success. I'll enter the dining room when I'm ready."

Saben couldn't help but smile. "It will be as you command, Sire."

Once Saben was gone, Aedan sat next to Val, his acrimony still colored his tone. "According to Alban, Anora was quite adamant that there be vases of daffodils in the dinning room tonight. She seems to have forgotten that I learned the language of flowers from my mother. A bunch of daffodils are symbolic of new beginnings."

**~OooO~**

A young chantry mother named Runa ran from the Grand Cleric's room crying hysterically. Clutched in her hand was a letter. She ran to Revered Mother Boann's office and didn't even knock; she simply threw the door open and sobbed, "The Grand Cleric is dead!"

The Revered Mother had been looking out of her window when Mother Runa rushed in. She started, and turned to the distraught woman. "Child, calm yourself. What is this about the Grand Cleric?"

Mother Runa tried to catch her breath and calm the frantic beating of her heart. After several deep breaths she looked to the Revered Mother. "Grand Cleric Clodovea is dead. Her wrists are slit open and she lays…in a pool of her own blood. Maker, your Reverence, it looks like she killed herself."

Mother Boann grew very pale, slowly sank into her chair, and sighed. "Merciful Maker!" She looked at Runa and asked, "What do you carry in your hand?"

Mother Runa had forgotten about the letter that she still clutched in her hand. She looked at it then, slowly handed it to the Revered Mother. "I found this on her bedside table."

Afraid of what she was about to read, Mother Boann said a quick prayer before she unfolded the letter.

_To the poor soul who finds me: forgive me for the horror you are seeing. I ask that you please give this letter directly to Revered Mother Boann. Her Reverence will know what to do._

_While I napped, Andraste came to me in a dream. I was standing in the Chantry courtyard at Val Royeaux. She gracefully sat on a stone bench and looked into my eyes. While she said nothing, the disappointment in her countenance felt as if someone had ripped out my heart. I was filled with overpowering guilt for proclaiming that Justinia V was a false Divine, for having the audacity to believe that the sacred Grand Consensus could be corrupted, for the wickedness of planning to split for Ferelden from the Chantry, and for the evil of forcing Queen Anora to declare me as the new Divine._

_Queen Anora is a strong woman, but plagued by pride and power. I used that and brought her to her knees by blackmailing her. I had pages stolen from her journal that would expose her own nefarious plans. _

_When I awoke from the dream, I was broken. I was filled with a sense of shame that no punishment could ever expiate. I know now that there is only one path for me, one sure way to save those around me from any further evil I might perpetrate — remove myself from this world._

_Look not for me at the Maker's side, for I know I leave this world to forever wander the Void._

_Maker, please grace those I have wronged._

_Clodovea Monette Terblanche_

Mother Boann lifted her eyes and looked to Runa. "This is her suicide note. She writes about believing that the Divine, Justinia V was a false Divine, of separating Ferelden from the Chantry and of blackmailing Queen Anora. I must go to the palace immediately."

**~OooO~**

"You want me to_ smite_ you?" Alistair stared unbelievingly at Rhovaneth and Merenwen. The two elven women had explained their theory that because the magic of the _elvhen_ did not draw from the Fade, a Templar should be less able to drain them, or interfere with their ability to cast spells.

Merenwen's expression was one of excitement. "Alistair, don't you see? If you cannot drain us, then we may have a way to help the mages in Thedas."

"Help them how?"

"By coming up with a way to retrain some of them."

Alistair ran his hand through his hair. "Interesting idea."

"Please Alistair, we know this will work." Merenwen pleaded.

Sighing, Alistair gave in. "I suppose there is no convincing either of you otherwise. Perhaps you both should sit down, the smite may hurt."

Rhovaneth shook her head. "No, we need to be outside. We want to attempt to attack you. Merenwen will try to place a ward of protection on me, and I will try to encase your legs in rock."

The matter-of-fact tone in Rhovaneth's voice was too much for Alistair, who put his hands up. "Wait a minute. You want to attack me and have me defend myself by smiting and draining you? Have you both gone insane?"

Merenwen smiled. "I assure you, Alistair, we are quite sane. Think about it. Your mages are trained to draw mana from the Fade. The elvhen are trained to draw power from nature. As we understand it, templars interfere with mages by disrupting their connection to the Fade, yes?"

"Yes… that's how templars are trained." He looked at Merenwen and Rhovaneth and saw the determination in their expressions and suddenly felt their excitement. _If they're right, and they can retrain some mages, then perhaps Da and Val will have a chance_. "All right, you've convinced me. But, don't blame me if you both have massive headaches." He said the last part with a smile.

They went to Merenwen's backyard. Elrohir stood waiting for them. He smiled broadly. "So, I see they managed to persuade you?"

Alistair chuckled, "We're talking about the combined forces of Merenwen and Rhovaneth; was there any doubt?"

Elrohir merely laughed.

Merenwen rubbed her hands together, eager to start. She stood back and Rhovaneth turned to face Alistair. Both women began to cast.

Alistair, caught by surprise, realized that they were staging a real fight. He quickly gathered his energy, threw up his hands, and let out a cleansing wave. Then a ward appeared under Rhovaneth, and Alastair felt his legs stiffen as stone crept up to his knees. He squinted, and then smote them. While both women staggered back, the ward stayed in place and Alastair's legs were encased in stone.

**~OooO~**

Anora was relieved that Saben's drill was finally over. As she entered the dining room, she looked about; her face was serene. Feigning innocence, she asked the nearest servant, "Where is Chamberlain Alban?"

A young servant, who had just been coached by Saben, curtsied. "His Majesty has not yet appeared for dinner, so the Chamberlain has gone to find him."

_I guess Aedan hasn't awoken from his…nap. _Anora replied, dismissively, "I'm sure my husband was delayed by some official business that the seneschal has deemed urgent." Appearing unperturbed and feeling confident, Anora slowly slid off the gold napkin ring and placed it gently next her plate. _We should hear the alarm any minute now._

As the servants brought in the first course, Anora smiled at the vases of daffodils. She raised her glass to her lips and said softly, "Here is to new beginnings."

From behind her came a hand holding a single daffodil follow by sneering voice. "Pray tell, my wife, what does a _single_ daffodil mean?"

Anora blanched.

**~OooO~**

**AN:** Sorry for the delay and I hope you are still with me. My wrist is…well let's just say that it's extremely unhappy. However, I now have dictation software and it will help me update on a more regular basis!

Thank you to all who have been patient during the long break. Special thanks to csorciere, xseikax, Eastern Violet, and Melysande for your reviews and support. Spec ial thank you to Shakespira for her beta skills, words of wisdom, and support.


	8. Judgement Day

_BioWare owns all. I just play in their pool._

**Chapter 8. Judgment Day**

Anora affected an attitude of bored condescension. Without turning around, she sighed, "What are you going on about now, Aedan?"

_Ah, denial_. "Your recent activities, my Queen."

She rose and turned towards Aedan, then responded, irritably, "My activities? I've spent my afternoon being babysat during one of Saben's pointless drills."

He crossed his arms in front of himself, and kept his voice low and calm. "I would hardly call saving our lives pointless. Besides, today was no drill; today, I almost died."

Anora schooled her expression and spoke as a concerned wife. "You were attacked? Aedan, what happened?" She put her hand on his arm. "Are you all right?"

Aedan seized her arm as he brandished the journal pages. "Yes, your plan to poison me was unsuccessful."

Anora looked at what he held. _Maker…what happened? Did that Orlesian cow turn on me_? She sniffed, her tone was imperious, "What lies do you hold in your hand?"

Aedan was about to reply when a guard entered the room. "Sire, Revered Mother Boann is here and requests an emergency audience."

_Hmm, I wonder if Leli has worked her magic._ Aedan commanded the guard, "Please, bring her to the Audience chamber… and make sure her Majesty joins us. Restrain her if necessary."

If the guard was surprised by the order, he didn't show it. "Yes, Sire."

As Anora was led away, Saben arrived. "Your Majesty, as you requested." Saben showed him a journal that was clearly Anora's.

Aedan's smiled was a sardonic sneer. "Well then, let us not keep Revered Mother Boann waiting."

**~OooO~**

Cullen sat at his desk. Sitting across from him was a man who looked to be his own age. The man was wearing templar armor and from the way he carried himself, Cullen knew he was a seasoned warrior. Aside from that he found the templar's physical appearance to be unremarkable. He had already met several lone templars, but none of them had been Varric's. Still Cullen was pleased. _The more lone Templars we have the less likely Varric's men will stand out._

Cullen started with his standard first question, "Julian, tell me about your background."

The templar smiled broadly. "You mean aside from my lifelong battle with carbuncles?"

Cullen looked at the man carefully and said the code phrase, "That must be terrible. What ointment do you use?"

"Fade Lips, which has given me no relief. I understand you have Mother's Carbuncle Cream."

Cullen grinned. "Welcome, Julian. Have you ever dealt with lyrium smugglers?"

"Many times. I take it you want me to interfere with their job?"

"Yes. I would like them to be slightly less successful."

**~OooO~**

The two women stood below the dais. Two guards flanked Anora, and the Revered Mother stood quietly beside them.

When Anora looked at Mother Boann she didn't miss the flash of anger in the cleric's brown eyes. _This must be about Clodovea!_ Anora tried to still the trembling she felt as fear slowly crept into her heart.

Aedan entered the chamber and sat on the throne. Despite the issue with Anora, his expression was one of genuine concern. "Your Reverence, what can I do for you?"

The Mother's voice reflected both the anger and the fear that warred within her. "Your Majesty, the Grand Cleric is dead, seemingly by her own hand!"

_Suicide? Interesting choice, Leli._ "Maker! That is dreadful! Do you know why she did it?"

After a glance at Anora, she addressed the king as she held out a parchment. "She left a letter. What she wrote was… disturbing, Your Majesty."

She handed the note to a guard who, in turn, gave it to the king. Aedan read the note. _Clodovea wrote this, but the words are not hers. Leliana, what have you done? _Aedan looked up from the note. "Saben, show the book to Her Majesty, then bring it to me."

Anora saw what Saben held in his hand. She couldn't help but recognize it for what it was and defeat filled her soul.

Her husband scoffed. "You recognize it, don't you?"

Anora couldn't deny it; her voice was listless. "Yes, it's my journal."

He held up the note. "According to this, Clodovea forced you to declare her as the new Divine by blackmailing you with pages stolen from your journal." He took the pages he had slipped into his surcoat. "My dear wife, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you referred to these as lies."

Anora kept silent.

Aedan, exaggerating his movements as he opened the journal and turned pages, smiled. "Ah. Here we are! Right between sixteen Harring and thirty-one Wintermarch. They fit perfectly. Shall I read these entries out loud, or wait for your trial?"

Anora stood pale and afraid.

The king stepped down from the dais and stood before his wife. His voice carried more sorrow than rage. "I wanted our marriage to be one of love or at least mutual respect. You never even tried to meet me half way."

Anora tried to put all the hauteur in her voice she could. "Love? Noble marriages are never about love…or respect. They are about power. A fact your parents failed to teach you."

The mention of his mother and father in such a way sent Aedan into a cold rage. He hissed threateningly, "You were going to have a _child_ killed! You were going to murder a whole family! Not even your father would stoop so low. Congratulations Anora, you would have made Rendon Howe proud.

"Saben! I want the Queen confined to her rooms. Take any action necessary to make sure she doesn't escape. Take her away!"

Aedan couldn't even look at Anora as she was led away. Instead he looked up to the ceiling. He took several deep breaths then turned to the Revered Mother. "Your Reverence, given the tenuous situation with the Orlesian chantry, I need you to serve as Ferelden's Grand Cleric. The Divine failed us by not appointing you, and then again by sending that _woman_ instead. I need you to be Fereldan's spiritual leader. Please."

Mother Boann had stood quietly during Aedan's exchange with his wife. She was shocked and appalled by the actions of the former Grand Cleric and of the Queen. However, she had to admit to herself, reluctantly, that she felt a sense of relief at no longer having to serve under Clodovea's broad and forceful thumb. But what the king was asking for was unprecedented. "Your Majesty, you ask me to do what has never been done. I need time; I need to pray for guidance."

"Of course, of course. I will be attending tomorrow's chant. I would like to talk to you afterwards, if that is alright."

She smiled and nodded. "Of course, Your Majesty. I look forward to your attending the chant. It has been awhile. May I take my leave?"

"Yes, may Andraste guide you."

From the balcony, Val watched the Revered Mother leave, and then looked skyward and whispered, "Andraste, please guide her. Help her accept the position of Grand Cleric."

Aedan looked up. "It's safe to come down, Val."

**~OooO~**

Leliana was making her way back to the palace. She knew that the Revered Mother had gone to see Aedan and was quite pleased with how the events had played out. She thought back to her last encounter with Clodovea…

"_I am disgusted by your conceit in questioning the Divinity of Justinia V, and your gall in trying to position yourself as the Divine. You have sinned in the eyes of the Maker, Clodovea, and there is no forgiveness for you."_

_Clodovea visibly swallowed, but remained silent, unable to overcome her fear._

_Leliana gently sat down on a lounge chair, and then sniffed delicately. "I can smell your fear. Is it me or is it the Maker's wrath that makes you sweat so?"_

"_Both." Clodovea managed to speak._

"_You have no reason to fear the Maker's wrath."_

_Clodovea looked puzzled._

"_Your eternity will be spent in the Void. You realize that you will not leave this room alive, yes?"_

_The Grand Cleric, whispered. "P…please be merciful. I promise to renounce my title as Grand Cleric and spend my life in a remote chantry. No one will ever hear from me again."_

_Leliana pretended to think about Clodovea's proposition–she looked prayerfully at a small statue of Andraste; she tapped her chin as she looked at the terrified woman–after a few minutes she smiled.__ "Your offer is…interesting, and I am not without mercy."_

_When she saw the faint glimmer of hope, she continued. "I must, however refuse your request. Instead I offer you a simple choice. Your death can be painless or painful, but you will die."_

_All hope died in Clodovea; tears streamed down her face. "I would like a painless death." _

"_I thought as much. If you will write a letter, that I will dictate, then I will administer a potion that will prevent you from feeling any pain as I slit your wrists. Then I will give you another potion that will keep you unconscious as you die from blood loss."_

"_How is that merciful?"_

"_Well, if you refuse, then I will easily forge the letter, and make sure you are awake and in full possession of you faculties as I slit your wrists and watch you bleed to death. Surely you prefer the first option, yes?"_

_Clodovea made the last decision of her life as she nodded. _

**~OooO~**

Aedan and Val were back in his study. She saw the exhaustion on his face. "Aedan, you should get some rest."

"I wouldn't be able to sleep. There is much to do in a relatively short amount of time."

"What can I do to help?"

Aedan smiled wryly. "Isn't that how you ended up knee-deep in the mire of Kirkwall? You are too helpful for your own good."

Val chuckled. "I believe all of my friends would agree with you. But I am not as altruistic as you think. Leliana and I need your help to gather mages and templars."

At the mention of Leliana, Aedan scowled. "She was behind that suicide letter. Read it."

Val scanned the letter; her eyes widened, then she sighed. "She destroyed your chance to enact the proclamation. I'm so sorry, Aedan. She's very devout, probably more so than you remember."

"I'll say. Val, proclamation aside, you already have leave from the real Divine to gather all the templars and mages you need, and you have my support as well."

"Thank you, Aedan. But I promised you I would try to make things right with your brother."

"I relieve you of that promise. My relationship with my brother cannot be mended."

Val thought about her parents and her brother all gone beyond her. "No, Aedan. I don't accept your release. Family is all that matters. Look, you need the presence of the teyrns and the independent arls to bring Anora to trial. I can go to Highever and deliver the news. I know that Teyrna Rayne has a brother in the Circle and I need to prove to the most powerful teyrn in Ferelden that I am not the black hand of the Inquisi—" Val stopped.

"Val? What are you thinking?"

"What about Loghain?"

"I can't leave Denerim right now. I will have to send him a message."

"I'll take the message. Leliana and I can take a boat to Highever from the Amaranthine docks. It's on the way."

"Have you ever met Loghain?"

Val remembered the confrontation between Maric and Loghain. She paled a bit but was able to go on. "Yes, I have. My sister is a Grey Warden. He knows me."

Aedan smiled. "What did I do to deserve you floating back into my life?"

The emotion behind Aedan's smile was clear. Val's eyes widened. _Oh shit._

**~OooO~**

Sitting at a table in a small hut, Andraste smiled to herself: _I will be more than happy to guide Mother Boann to accept Aedan's offer. I will do anything that I can to help Aedan separate Ferelden from the Orlesian-controlled Chantry._ She was already overjoyed at the news from Revas about retraining mages. Which is why she sat across from Rhovaneth, Merenwen and a newcomer.

"Rhovaneth, Merenwen, please meet Grand Enchanter Fiona."

**~OooO~**

**AN: **Thank you to everyone for your support and well wishes for my wrist. If anyone knows Anders whereabouts please send him my way, so he can heal my wrist! ;-)

Special thanks to my recviewers: csorciere, Melysande, xseikax, and Guest! Lastly, a huge thank you to Shakespira for her beta skill, and support.


	9. The Heart Wants What It Wants

**Chapter 9. The Heart Wants What It Wants**

Andraste was pleased to have all three women in the same place. Her previous meeting with Fiona had been contentious, to say the least. Andraste had found herself on the defensive as she'd told the Grand Enchanter of the current state of affairs outside of Andoral's Reach…

"_Fiona, Lambert is dead, and protégé, Adrian Masurian has taken over. He is resurrecting the Inquisition."_

"_The Inquisition?" Fiona's paled under her tan. "How are we supposed to stand against that? I don't have a large enough group to battle the Inquisitors. You know that. Can't you…I don't know, kill Masurian in his sleep?"_

"_No, and even if I could, Lambert has already set up the succession."_

"_So are we to be slaughtered then? That will complicate fixing the Veil, yes?" _

_Andraste winced at the sarcasm. "You will not be fighting this alone. A small advance team will arrive at Andoral's Reach to help you. Another team is working on gathering an army of mages…and templars still loyal to the Divine."_

"_We are to trust these templars because they are still loyal to the Chantry? That's not much of a recommendation." Fiona was quiet for several minutes then sighed in resignation, "I know the Chantry doesn't want the Inquisition to succeed any more than we do. It seems, for now, we are on the same side. Who is gathering this army?"_

_Andraste couldn't hide her trepidation; she knew her expression screamed, 'I don't want to tell you.' _

_After several minutes of silence, a frustrated, Fiona snapped, "Answer my bloody question!"_

_Andraste spoke softly. "Valentina Hawke."_

_Fiona stood up. "The Champion? That shemlen bitch slaughtered all the mages in Kirkwall! I think the last eight hundred year has scrambled your brains if you think I will let her anywhere near Andoral's Reach…alive!"_

_Even after Andraste told her the truth about what happened in Kirkwall, Fiona still seethed, and refused to trust Val. She paced around the hut angrily, vowing revenge. At her wits end, desperate to convince the Grand Enchanter that Val was an ally, Andraste tried one last tactic: "Fiona, Maric is alive." _

_At first Andraste wasn't sure that Fiona had heard what she'd said. The elven mage's expression was completely blank. She paled and sat down hard into the chair. Fiona blinked several times then she whispered, "Maric…is…alive? How? Where is he?"_

_Andraste spoke softly, "The elves of Revas rescued him from the shipwreck and brought him back to Revas. Until recently, that's where he's been living."_

"_Until recently?"_

"_Yes, now he leads the team heading to Andoral's Reach."_

_Fiona was silent and Andraste couldn't tell from her expression what she was thinking. After several minutes, Fiona's eyes narrowed as she looked at Andraste. "What does Maric think about working with that butcher?"_

_Andraste said simply, "Fiona, Val and Maric are married."_

"_Married?" Fiona's voice cracked; her expression was one of shock and disbelief._

_Andraste nodded. "Yes, that alone should tell you that Val isn't the demon you believe her to be."_

_Fiona slowly nodded. "Tell me again about what happened in Kirkwall, you said that the Champion was trying to save the people of the city?"_

**~oOOo~**

Val was filled with a deep sense of dread. _I don't want to have this conversation with Aedan, not ever. _She cleared her throat. "Aedan, you're a good man and a good king. In time you will find your true queen. Perhaps she'll even be that maiden from a remote Bannorn, Leliana teased you about."

"I don't want a maiden from a Bannorn, I want the spitfire from Lothering."

"I am flattered Aedan, but I'm married to a man I love."

Val watched as the light in Aedan's eyes dimmed. Then she stood up. "It's late, you need your rest. Perhaps Leli and I can meet with you tomorrow and finalize the arrangements?"

Aedan stood up was well. "That's probably good advice. Yes, let's meet in the morning after breakfast." Then he took Val's hand and gently kissed it. "Good night, Valentina."

Val removed her hand from his and nodded. "Good night, Your Majesty."

All the way back to the Inn tears ran down Val's face as her heart and soul ached for Maric.

**~oOOo~**

During their journey from Starkhaven, Maric was increasingly reminded of the times during the Rebellion when he would sit with Loghain and Rowan, planning and evaluating their tactics and strategy. He and Teri frequently conferred on what they needed to do as they approached Andoral's Reach. In some ways, Teri reminded Maric of Loghain: a brilliant strategist, committed to the cause…and just as taciturn. _I doubt either of them would approve of the comparison. _Maric did notice that Teri's taciturn nature did not extend to Renna and sensed that the mage was taken with her.

They were two days out from Hunter Fell and had set up camp for the night. Before they left Starkhaven they decided that Renna, Sketch, and Zevran would take turns cooking. Teri didn't know how, and Maric warned them all, "Unless you like to eat things you can't identify, I'll join Teri on clean up duty."

It was Renna's turn to cook and Maric watched as she skewered some rabbit meat to roast over the fire. "Ren, can I ask you something personal?"

Renna laughed softly. "Maric, not only were you there when we unwrapped the huge mirror from Zev and Fenarel, but you also heard my husband ask me if I wanted to mount it on the ceiling. I think it's safe to say you can ask me pretty much anything."

Maric grinned at the memory, and then sobered. "Teri is quite taken with you, isn't she?"

Renna nodded and smiled. "She knows I can't return her affections, but she is like Zevran: she doesn't stop trying."

Maric shook his head with a chuckle, "You compare her to Zevran, and I find her much like Loghain."

"Like Loghain?" Renna asked in disbelief.

"I mean the Loghain before I became King. Brilliant, committed, but always reserved."

Sketch, who had overheard, offered with a sly grin, "Perhaps if you had breasts, Maric, she would be less reserved."

Maric sat there speechless, while Renna and Sketch laughed.

"I don't know about less reserved, but I have to admit, the notion of Maric having breasts sounds intriguing," Teri said, sitting down on the log next to Renna's. "So, why does Maric want me to be less reserved?"

Maric hung his head.

Renna managed to stop laughing. "Maric mentioned that you remind him of Loghain during the Rebellion, while I likened you to Zevran."

Teri realized that Maric meant no disrespect, quite to the contrary. However, seeing that she had the upper hand, she teased, "Hmm. I remind you of a Regicide?"

Maric blushed to his toes. "No. No! I meant it as a compliment. Brilliant, committed, and …taciturn."

Sketch smiled at Teri. "I see you don't have an issue with being likened to Zevran?"

"Who wouldn't like to be a gorgeous elf from Antiva?" Zevran, who appeared from nowhere, grinned, startling Renna and Sketch.

Maric sighed. "Teri, I noted that you seemed quite taken with Renna, she's the one who likened you to Zevran."

Teri looked a Renna lasciviously, an expression in total contrast to her usually aloof one. "I can't help that Renna's beauty makes me want to do wicked things."

It was Renna's turn to blush.

Zevran sighed, "Ah yes. I'm sorry Teri, but monogamy is an affliction suffered by Fereldans. As far as I know, there is no cure."

"…still, they are cute when they blush."

Maric put up his hands in mock surrender, "Okay, I take it back, you remind me nothing of Loghain."

Sketch leaned over to Maric, "Would it help if Loghain had breasts?"

**~oOOo~**

After being introduced, Fiona nodded to Merenwen and Rhovaneth. "I cannot tell you how deeply honored I am to meet you both. I am overjoyed to hear about Revas, and more than a little proud of my granddaughter."

Rhovaneth smiled. "She is one of my most gifted students."

Fiona grinned then sobered. "I am glad she's safe from this nightmare in Thedas. Andraste tells me that you believe some of the mages can be retrained and made more resistant to templar powers?"

Merenwen nodded. "Those of the Primal and Creation schools can be retrained. But those whose skills lie in Entropy, and thus directly manipulate the Fade, cannot. Spirit mages are possible, but difficult, as they act outside of nature."

Fiona looked nonplussed. "I'll take it. Having mages that can manipulate the elements will give us a solid capacity for attacking groups as well as individual inquisitors. Mages that can heal and create wards can protect both our armed troops and our Fade-dependent mages. The question is how do we retrain them?"

At this, Merenwen looked troubled. "Ideally, we would bring several mages through the Eluvian to Revas and train them there, then they could go back and teach others, but that isn't realistic. The Eluvian is too far away."

"What if I and several other went to Thedas?" Rhovaneth said, partly to herself and partly to the others.

Merenwen, Fiona, and Andraste looked completely bewildered.

Rhovaneth smiled. "Merenwen, Andraste, you seem to forget that many of us are not only Somniari, but were also in corporeal form before we stepped from the Fade into to Revas. It _might_ be possible to enter the Fade the same way and go to Thedas."

Merenwen thought about it. "If that is at all possible you would need a tremendous amount of power and then how would you get back?"

Rhovaneth looked disquieted, then said softly. "Once we are in Thedas the only way back would be through the Vimmark Eluvian. As for the power…Adaia knows how to share hers and she has quite a lot of power."

**~oOOo~**

Leliana was waiting when Val entered their room at the Gnawed Noble. When she saw the anguish in Val's expression, she put her hand to her heart. "My friend, what has happened? Aedan is alive; the Grand Cleric is dead. What has you looking so distressed?"

Val sobbed. "I need Maric. I…I miss him so much." Leliana pulled Val into a hug.

After a few minutes, Val quieted and pulled away from Leliana to sit on the settee. "Leli, I…I don't know how to say this, but Aedan seems to have feelings for me. I was very clear with him that I don't return those feelings and I'm married to a man I love, but I don't think that _really_ got through to him. He has been so hurt by Anora, I felt like I kicked him while he is down, but what else could I do? I'm not sure what is going on in his head. You know Aedan, what do you think?"

If Leliana was surprised at what Val had just said, she didn't look it. "I was afraid of that when he said how he remembered you from Lothering. Aedan is man of deep emotion, but one of honor. He will not force the issue. However, I too am worried about his current mental state. I think that you should not be alone with him. We will be leaving soon anyway, yes?"

"About that. We need to go to Amaranthine so I can talk to Loghain about what happened and give him a message from Aedan. I also promised Aedan I would try to right things with his brother."

Leliana, who was leaning against the wall, simply stared a Val. Then she asked, "Why would you promise something like that?"

"I lost my brother before we could ever resolve our differences. I lost my mother; I lost my sister to the Grey Wardens. Sebastian lost his entire family. Maric lost his older son. I couldn't stop _any_ of that from happening. Aedan and Fergus are the only blood relatives they have left. I can't let them lose each other, not if I have the capacity to stop it. I have to try, Leliana."

The bard looked into Val's deep blue eyes and knew she couldn't dissuade her friend, so she didn't try. "We can take a ship from Denerim to Amaranthine and then from Amaranthine to Highever. Perhaps on the way we can figure out how to talk to Fergus."

Val stood up and pulled Leliana into a hug. "Thank you for understanding."

**~oOOo~**

It was mid-day when they finally arrived in Perendale. It was the first town they had seen since Hunter Fell and they desperately needed to re-provision. When Teri and Sketch reported the Veil over the area was stable, Maric decided they would stay there for a couple of days so they could make final plans before arriving at Andoral's Reach.

Two days before they'd reached Perendale, Zevran had become uncharacteristically quiet and looked deeply troubled; even after arriving in Perendale, his dark mood continued. Maric was worried about him. As he and Zevran walked into the town to acquire the supplies they needed, he pulled the elf aside. "Zevran, what's wrong?"

Zevran stopped and looked at Maric. It was obvious that the elf was fighting with himself: his strained expression made it clear that he was trying to hold back his tears. Finally, he sighed sounding completely disheartened. "How do you handle being separated from Val?"

Maric took a few moments to figure out how to answer what he thought was Zevran's real question. "It's Fenarel, you miss him deeply, don't you?"

Zevran could only nod.

"I miss Val tremendously, but I also feel that she's here." He pointed to his chest. "That helps."

Zevran scrubbed his face with his hands. "I have never felt like this about anyone. He…is…my…world."

"Then he will always be in your heart."

Zevran thought on that and nodded. "Yes, he is and will be. Every morning when I wake up and don't see his face makes me feel as if a small piece of me has died." He shook his head a bit and looked at Maric, his voice colored with remorse. "I am sorry, _mi amico_, my love is safe in Revas, but yours isn't. I shouldn't even trouble you with this."

"Zevran, that's not true. Missing someone you love is difficult, full stop. I understand. For me, going to sleep at night is the worst. I've slept by myself for years before Val. Now, my bed feels colder and lonelier than it has ever felt. Not even after Rowan died have I felt this alone. That's why I keep reminding myself that she and I are one. That while she isn't physically here, all that is Val is right here."

Zevran smiled wanly. "Do you know I have lost the urge to make lurid comments?"

Maric patted him on the back and smiled. "Not to make light of this, but perhaps you are feeling…monogamous."

Like the break of dawn, Zevran's face lit up. Then he laughed. "My Rakish King, does thin mean I am now a Fereldan?"

"I don't know about that, but you did spend quite a lot of time there. You told Varric that monogamy seems to have spread to the Free Marches. It seems you have been infected, so to speak."

Both men laughed, each feeling lighter in both heart and mind. Maric clapped his hand on Zevran's shoulder. "Being monogamous doesn't mean you can't still make lurid comments."

As they all sat by the campfire that first night in Perendale, Zevran was more like himself again, teasing and joking. Everyone told stories and shared laughs, each actively trying to comfort the others as they all worried about what they would encounter at Andoral's Reach.

**~oOOo~**

Aedan sat at his desk trying to write a letter to Loghain, but thoughts of Val kept interfering. _She's married and she loves her husband. Why do I hold out any hope of ever being with her? _Aedan sighed and whispered, "Because I've loved her ever since I saw her in Lothering."

**~oOOo~**

AN: The wrist continues to improve, so chapters will be more frequent an a bit longer.

Special thanks to my reviewers: csorciere, Melysande, xseikax, and EasterViolet, and a huge thank you to Shakespira for being my beta


	10. Set Upon the Path

_Part of this chapter is NSFW. Some Alistair and Kali time. AN at the bottom. BioWare owns all._

* * *

**Chapter 10. Set Upon the Path. **

In the map room, Masurian and Cullen stood in front of the table looking a map of the Free Marches. Cullen already knew what his boss wanted to talk about and had prepared accordingly, but even that failed to stop the chilling thoughts and images of what the Grand Inquisitor was planning.

"Cullen, it's time that our Inquisitors spread their wings and learn to hunt their quarry."

Even knowing he was going to say that didn't stop the bile from rising in Cullen's throat. He hid his discomfort by looking studiously at the map. _And so it begins._ "Yes, it is. I was thinking; given the men's unfamiliarity with Inquisitorial techniques, perhaps you would consider taking a small group and going to a less populous city?"

Masurian had been thinking of a bigger mission, but was intrigued by Cullen's idea. "Why do you think so?"

_Here goes._ "I suggest we gather a group made up of one Inquisitor from each of our regular squads. The smaller group would give you the opportunity to _personally_ train each of them during the mission. The skills and knowledge they acquire from you they can then teach to their squads. I believe this will quickly increase our numbers of _properly_ trained inquisitors."

Masurian looked thoughtful, then pointed to a place on the map. "Perhaps Ostwick would be a good place to start."

Cullen smiled_. _"I was thinking of Markham, but you're quite right, Ostwick would be much better. I understand it's becoming a small haven for apostates." Cullen was relieved that his plan worked_. Varric has already set up communications in Ostwick, so I can send a warning. That will help save some, even though we cannot save all. There has to be enough of an apostate presence so as not to arouse Masurian's suspicions. _

Masurian patted Cullen on the shoulder. "When I am called to the Maker's side, I know what we've built will be safe in your hands. The Maker chose well; you are going to make a fine Grand Inquisitor."

"That you chose me as your successor was truly humbling." _Thank you, Andraste._

"You were chosen by the Maker, my boy. Bring two Inquisitors from each squad. I will meet with them and I will let you know whom I've selected. I would like to leave in two days."

"It will be done, Grand Inquisitor."

Masurian straightened and stretched. "I'm going to the practice yards; perhaps some of the men will want to spar. Care to join me?"

"I must respectfully decline. In a candle mark I will be meeting with a new recruit."

"Of course. Good work! Thank you, Cullen."

When Masurian left the room, Cullen let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. _I am not a monster…I'm trying to save lives. I am not a monster…I'm trying to save lives._ He left for his office and hoped that the new recruit was one of Varric's. _I'm still expecting the eighth and final of Varric's men._

When he arrived at his office, the recruit was already standing with Paxley just outside the door. After a brief nod of greeting, Cullen entered his office and sat at his desk. A moment later, Paxley ushered in the recruit, handing Cullen a file.

"Thank you, Paxley. Please make sure you get lunch, I will take the recruit to the quartermaster, if I accept him."

"Thank you, Lord High Inquisitor." Paxley bowed and left the office.

After Paxley closed the door, Cullen looked at the file. _Silvio Carangio from Antiva City. _The Seeker was a tall, wiry young man, who was clean-shaven and had long sable brown hair and brown eyes. He also had the olive complexion typical of many Antivans. Otherwise, he was unremarkable looking. Cullen said simply, "Silvio, tell me about your background."

In a voice that reminded Cullen of Zevran, Silvio answered, "I have been a Seeker for six years, so I should have the experience you need, yes? Aside from that I must tell you that I have fought a lifelong battle with carbuncles."

_Silvio is quite a bit younger than the other men Varric sent._ Cullen said the code phrase, "That must be terrible. What ointment do you use?"

The seeker grinned, "Bella's Bath Balm which, I'm afraid, has given me no relief. I understand you have Mother's Carbuncle Cream, yes?"

Cullen smiled. "We do indeed. Welcome, Silvio. Do you have experience with coded communications?"

"Ah, I am quite skilled in that area, My Lord. I can not only intercept communications, but I can also…alter them to fit you needs."

Cullen chuckled. "Perfect. I will station you in the Gallows. After we are finished here, the quartermaster will show you to the barracks. Settle in then I will give you your first assignment. Now, let's chat about your other skills."

**~oOOo~**

Fiona felt a combination of fear and pride for the granddaughter she had never met. "Can she really share her power?"

The other two eleven women nodded slowly, each clearly in awe of Adaia Theirin's ability.

Andraste leaned back in her chair. "We would be asking a lot from a nine and half year old."

Rhovaneth disagreed. "While she is as impulsive and exuberant as any child her age, when it comes to her magic she is quite serious and very mature. She understands the plight of the mages in Thedas; we have spoken of it on many occasions."

Merenwen looked at Rhovaneth. "We need to speak with her parents, first."

Fiona frowned. "You must include Adaia in that discussion. If she is mature enough to take on this task, she must take part in the conversation."

Merenwen agreed. Rhovaneth studied Fiona's expression. _Her frown wasn't in anger. It looked more like fear._ "Fiona, do you think we should abandon this plan?"

Fiona started and looked at the older woman. After a moment or two, her expression became guarded. "I admit, my objectivity is compromised because we are talking about my granddaughter. But if she can make the retraining of my mages possible, then we need to pursue this option."

"Rhovaneth?" Merenwen said.

"Yes?"

"You cannot go to Thedas."

The elder mage nodded. "I know, I need to be here for Adaia. I cannot leave her. There are, however, many in our group that can go in my stead. Beren and his wife, Lúthien; Eámanë and her brother, Orodreth; and Gilraen and her husband, Finwë"

Merenwen added, "Don't forget Camthalion. He is a very talented primal mage and an excellent teacher."

Andraste stood. "You must consult with the Theirins before we go any further. I would like to speak with Fiona privately. Merenwen, Rhovaneth, thank you. I hope we can make this work."

When she was alone with Fiona, Andraste asked directly, "Can you truly accept Valentina as our ally?"

Fiona arched an eyebrow; her voice was flat. "I believe I have already agreed to that."

"Yes and no. That's why I ask you now: Can you accept Valentina Theirin as our ally?"

Fiona was quiet. _This is the point of no return, I either accept her or things will become infinitely more complicated. Yet, Maric loved her enough to marry her. What stills my tongue?_

Andraste looked at Fiona's expression, saw it change from irritation to bewilderment, then to stunned surprise. _I think she has just figured it out._

Fiona looked at Andraste. "I can accept Valentina as our ally, but…I am having a difficult time accepting her as Maric's wife."

Andraste's expression was stern and unyielding, as was her voice. "That cannot stand in our way, Fiona. It has been over thirty years; you must accept that Maric has moved on."

Fiona looked annoyed. "Yes, I know that! But she is now grandmother to _my_ granddaughter whom I have never seen. She is the mother-in-law of my only son. It is like she is living my life."

Andraste knew all about Fiona and Maric's relationship. She knew how both Maric and Alistair has been affected by Fiona's choice. That Fiona harbored jealously for Valentina angered her. She snapped at the elven mage, "You gave up that life when you gave up Alistair and made Maric promise to give him up as well. You managed to deprive Alistair of both of his parents. Valentina isn't living your life; she's helping to heal the lives that you discarded! Remember that!"

Dumbfounded, Fiona looked at Andraste, momentarily speechless with surprise. Then her shoulders sagged and tears filled her eyes. "I didn't want my son to suffer as I did! Even though he's human, if his elven heritage had been discovered…if they knew I was a _mage_…I…I couldn't let that happen. I may not have been able to raise him, but I loved him and I wanted to protect him. I made Maric promise me, and _that_ is what I should never have done. I knew Maric would never break that promise…I made him give up his son and for that, I am deeply sorry."

Andraste's face softened. "It is not I who needs to hear your apology."

Fiona nodded sadly. "I know and when he arrives I will tell him. Are he and Valentina happy together?"

"Do you want the truth?"

Fiona was silent, and then nodded her head.

"I don't think Maric has ever been happier."

Fiona winced. "I should have expected that."

"Yes, you should."

Fiona smiled wanly. "If she makes him happy then I have no reason to rail against her. He is a man of honor; he would never be with her if she were the horror I thought her to be. I will try to make those at Andoral's Reach see the truth."

**~oOOo~**

Just after breakfast, Leliana and Val were ushered into the King's study. Aedan was looking out the window when they were announced.

When he turned, Val said, "Good morning, Your Majesty."

Aedan smiled. "Good Morning, Valentina."

"Your Majesty, please call me Val."

"I believe I asked you to call me Aedan. So if you call me Aedan, I will call you Val."

Val nodded. "Fair enough. Good morning, Aedan."

The king's eyes turned to Leliana and all the warmth in he gaze vanished. In its place was a glacial expression: hard and cold. His voice was low and threatening. "I trusted you, Leliana, but you betrayed me. You took care of Clodovea but you sacrificed my country to do it!"

Leliana's blue eyes flashed with anger. "You betrayed the Maker by putting forth that heretical proclamation!"

"The proclamation you find so abhorrent is vital to removing the last Orlesian yoke from my country. Orlais is on the brink of a civil war; now is the time for Ferelden to cut its last tie to the nation that enslaved us for almost a century!"

"My loyalty is to the Chantry, not to you and not to Ferelden. What I did was for the sake of the Chantry!"

"As the Chantry and Orlais are one in the same, be careful of your next words."

Val stepped between them and looked at Leliana. She hated to do it, but she had no choice. Her voice was calm and cold. "You are loyal to the Chantry and the Divine, yes?"

Leliana looked at Val and nodded.

"Then by the authority granted to me by the Divine, I command you to stand down. You will take no further actions until I say so. Right now you are to stand there and be silent until I tell you otherwise."

Leliana eyes widened; she knew Val was right and she had no choice but to obey her just as she would the Divine. Her struggle to do as commanded was evident in her expression but she remained silent, to Val's relief.

Val turned to Aedan. "Your Majesty, I apologize for Leliana's behavior and regret the damage she has caused. Is there some sort of recompense I can offer?"

Aedan looked at Val, catching himself before he became lost in her deep blue eyes. "I appreciate your offer. I can only ask that Leliana not be allowed to take any independent actions while she is within my borders."

"Very well. I will make sure she remains focused on our missions. Do you have the messages for me to deliver?"

Aedan nodded. He took two sealed scrolls from his desk and gave them to Val. "Thank you for doing this. You are rendering Ferelden and myself a great service. When you have completed your mission to the Circle, return here and select two squads of the Royal Guard to join you."

Both Leliana and Val looked shocked and very grateful. "Your Majesty, your generosity is greatly appreciated. Thank you. We will return here after our trip to Kinloch Hold. Now, unless you have anything further to discuss, I beg your leave so Leliana and I can make our preparations to depart for Vigil's Keep."

Aedan hated the formality, but given Leliana, he knew there was little choice. "Champion, before you leave, might I have a word with you?"

_Nug shit. _"Of course, Your Majesty, but Leliana and I are on a tight schedule, so I fear I have but a few moments to spare."

"I understand. Still, if you would indulge me." Aedan walked to the door and motioned in a guard.

Val understood. She was well and truly trapped, and hoped that Aedan was as honorable as Leli had said. "Leliana please wait outside the room."

Leliana nodded to Val, who couldn't read her expression at all, bowed, and left with the guard.

Val turned to Aedan. "I am truly sorry. If I had known what she was going to d–"

Aedan held up his hand. "Val, it's fine. I will deal with it. That isn't what I wanted to discuss."

Val stood silent, waiting.

Aedan stood before her, close enough where she could feel the heat from his body. Every fiber of her being wanted to step back, but she was standing before the King of Ferelden, whose trust and goodwill she needed.

Aedan placed his hand on the side of her face and looked into her eyes. "I have loved you since I saw you in Lothering. One of my deepest regrets was not finding you while I was there. Tell me: if we had met in then, could I have won your heart?"

Val swallowed. "I…I couldn't say. If you were the same man you are now, then perhaps yes. But now is not yesterday; I cannot return your feelings. You must know that."

"Yes, I do. When I saw you here yesterday, I thought that the Maker had finally answered my prayers. To know that we cannot be is…hard. Now with Anora…I will have no one."

"Aedan, you will have your brother and his family, I promise you that. You will not be alone."

The King's voice was hoarse, holding back the tears that were threatening his eyes, "If you can accomplish that, you will have my eternal gratitude. But I will still be alone."

"You will find someone, Aedan, someone worthy of all the love you have. Someone who will return it in equal measure."

Aedan nodded. "Val, just tell me one thing."

"If I can."

"Who has captured your heart so thoroughly?"

"No one you would know, Aedan."

Aedan arched an eyebrow. "You will not tell me his name? It is but a simple question."

"Aedan, will knowing his name matter? Isn't it sufficient to know that he's my husband?"

_Why is she being evasive? _Aedan was silent for what seemed like an eternity. "Yes, it matters to me. What is his name?"

Val knew she couldn't lie, it was never something she was capable of and with Aedan holding her gaze, he would know if she did. "His name is Maric."

Val stayed silent, praying that would be enough.

"Then your married name is…?"

Val steeled herself and whispered her plea. "Please, Aedan, I must leave. Leliana and I are to board a ship in less than two hours."

Aedan moved closer, as Val held her breath, fearing that he would try to kiss her. Instead he spoke. "I realize that time is of the essence, but your evasiveness is worrying. Now I _need_ you to answer my question, otherwise I will command the answer."

Val tried to step back, but Aedan had threaded his hand through her hair. "Please, Aedan let me go."

"His name, Val."

"Theirin. His name is Maric Theirin. Yes, he is the former King of Ferelden."

Aedan's eyes widened as he looked into hers. "You're not lying."

"No, I'm not. Please, for his safety and mine, you must never divulge that information. I beg you."

Aedan nodded and stepped back. "I will keep your confidence, but I would like to understand how this is possible. Upon your return, we _will_ talk."_ Maric's at least 60 years old. How much of a marriage can this be?_

"Yes, I promise. Thank you, Aedan. Good bye." Val curtsied and left the room.

Leliana was waiting on the other side of the door and they were escorted back to the entrance. They walked to the Gnawed Noble in silence. Once they were back in their suite, Val, already tired and wrung out, gathered her strength and turned to Leliana. "You will remember what happened this morning and behave accordingly or I will send you back to Starkhaven."

Leliana had been thinking about what Aedan had said. She looked lost. "Val, do you see the Chantry and Orlais as Aedan does?"

"Yes, I do. I always have. You cannot tell me that what happened during the occupation will never happen again. As long as Orlais and the Chantry do not separate temporal matters from spiritual ones, and as long as Ferelden remains an Andrastian country, then we are under the yoke of Orlais. The appointment of Clodovea as Grand Cleric instead of Revered Mother Boann was more than enough to prove that. With Orlais about to enter a civil war, what's to stop the Chantry from calling in Ferelden Templars or, for that matter, Ferelden's army to its aid?"

"Justinia would never do that."

"Perhaps not, but she's hiding in the Free Marches. What if she is captured and killed? Who will take her place? Will she be as benevolent?" She saw that Leliana was about to speak so Val held up her hand. "Don't answer. There is no way of knowing in advance of the event, and that is precisely the point. That's why Ferelden needs to disentangle itself from the Chantry in Orlais. Ferelden is the birth place of Andraste, what better country to reestablish the Chantry and make it separate from the country, just as it is spelled out in the Proclamation."

Leliana slowly sat down on the settee. She looked at Val and said quietly, "You have given me much to think about, my friend."

Val knew that Leliana was being honest, but the likelihood of her changing her mind was low. _Time will tell._

**~oOOo**~

Alistair and Kali sat in front of the fireplace enjoying its warmth, and the quiet. Between her pregnancy, the absence of Maric and Val, and Adaia's burgeoning power, the last month had been trying for both of them. Now that Kali's morning sickness was gone, she no longer felt drained at the end of the day, and was actually able to stay awake once Adaia went to bed. For the both of them, sitting by the fire like this was a real treat.

Kali surreptitiously watched her husband: the way the light of the fire brought out the red and gold in his hair, and made his tan skin glow. _By the Creators, he is a handsome man._

She stood up and closed the door.

Alistair heard the click of the lock and raised an eyebrow. "Locking us in?"

A lusty smile lit up her face. "More like locking everyone else out. Unless you want to be interrupted?"

Alistair gave her a playful look, "And just what would someone be interrupting?"

Silently, Kali slowly unlaced the front of her dress and, with a quick shrug of her shoulder, the dress fell to the floor. Clad only in her lacy smalls she seductively approached her husband.

His voice was husky with desire. "You're right, I don't want to be interrupted." He pulled Kali into his arms and kissed her.

She deepened the kiss, then pulled back and quickly removed Alistair's tunic. "How about you take off the rest, while I watch?"

Alistair smirked, but said nothing as he slowly unlaced his trousers, giving his wife a smoldering gaze. He slowly slid them off; his desire was quite evident.

Kali watched as he slowly ran his finger down his chest and abs following the line of blond hair that disappeared below the waistline of his smalls. "Stop, let me help you with those," Kali purred as she hooked her fingers into the waist of his small clothes and slid them down.

Suddenly, Alistair felt his hardness encased in the warmth of Kali's mouth. He threw his head back and groaned, then looked down as saw he wife's blue eyes watching him. She ran her tongue along his length, clearly enjoying herself.

His moans began in earnest as hips began to gently thrust forward and back. He rested his hands on her head. "That feels amazing, love."

Kali, in firm command of his arousal, used her tongue, hands, and lips until she could tell he was getting close: the thrust of his hips became more erratic and his breath became ragged. Suddenly, she stopped and pulled away. "Lay down," she purred.

Alistair's head was spinning as he gave her an evil grin. "You little minx, you're mine."

His speed never failed to astound her. Before she knew it, her smalls vanished and she was straddling Alistair. His hands directed her hips over his face and lowered her so he could feast on her soft folds.

Kali moaned with pleasure, as she felt his lips and tongue bring her quickly to the edge of release. She gasped, "Alistair…please. I need you."

He moved her hips down to hover over his length, and slowly slid her down, sheathing himself in her warmth. They moved together. Blue eyes met amber ones; they both drank in the other as they felt their release overwhelm them. Kali shouted her husband's name and though he had his release he kept moving inside her and gently circled her pearl with his finger, bringing her over a second time.

Exhausted, Kali moved to Alistair's side and rested her head on his chest. "You see why I locked the door?"

He chuckled. "Too bad it isn't sound-proof."

**~oOOo~**

The following morning at the breakfast table, Adaia was buttering her toast and she looked at her parents. "_Oran_ would like you both to come with me this morning. She and Keeper Merenwen need to talk to us."

Kali cocked her head to the side as she looked at her daughter. "Did she say why?"

Alistair began to tense as he remembered the experiment with Rhovaneth and Merenwen to determine if Arlathan magic was immune to Templar powers. _What are those two up to now?_

When they arrived at Rhovaneth's she led them into her living room where both Merenwen and Elrohir were already sitting.

Alistair looked at Adaia. "Sweetheart, would you play outside for a few minutes?"

Adaia looked puzzled. "But I thought I was supposed to be here, too?"

Rhovaneth was about to speak, but Alistair glared at her, and she remained silent quiet.

Kali looked at to her daughter. "Sweetling, it wasn't a request."

Adaia nodded and reluctantly left for the back yard.

Once he heard the door close, Alistair looked at the three elves. "Please don't tell me this has to do with retraining the mages?"

Merenwen cleared her throat. "Sorry to disappoint you. Yes it has everything to do with that."

Kali looked questioningly at Merenwen. "How does this involve Adaia?"

"We have had another meeting with Andraste, and this time there was a guest. It was your mother, Alistair. It was Fiona."

Alistair and Kali were speechless. Merenwen continued, "We were talking about how to retrain the mages that are gathered with Fiona. The only way we can do this is for several of the elves that appeared in Revas, like Ríneth and Faenor, to physically go to Andoral's Reach and train the mages there.

Alistair and Kali remembered when Ríneth and her husband Faenor spoke to the full council after appearing in Revas with another thirteen elves. They had physically come out of the Fade, whole of body and of spirit.

Kali arched an eyebrow. "Is that even possible?"

All three elves nodded. Rhovaneth explained. "The fifteen of us are not only Somniari, but were also in corporeal form _before_ we stepped from the Fade into Revas. We believe it's possible to enter the Fade the same way and go to Thedas. As distance is irrelevant in the Fade, we can get to Andoral's Reach quickly."

Alistair let out a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair, "Wow, that would be incredible."

Kali went straight to the point. "What does this have to do with Adaia?"

Rhovaneth took a deep breath. "To do this, if it's possible at all, will require a lot of power– "

Alistair had a hard time keeping his voice down. "Oh no. I don't want Adaia going near the Fade. Full stop."

Rhovaneth plea was in earnest. "She wouldn't be near the Fade, she would be right here in Revas. She would simply share her power with one or more of us, who would then perform the magic."

Alistair didn't look convinced. Kali squeezed his knee, and then asked, "Are there any risks to her sharing her power?"

Rhovaneth shook her head. "We don't think so. She has shared power before with no ill effects. Do you know how much power your daughter has?"

Alistair and Kali shook their heads, both a bit afraid of what Rhovaneth was going to say.

"In all the time I have been teaching her, she has never run out of mana, even once. Do you know how remarkable that is?"

Alistair was caught between pride and worry. "But what if you completely drain her?"

"Alistair," Merenwen smiled. "We would have to find out what her limits are first, under controlled conditions."

Alistair reluctantly nodded, stroking his goatee. "Alright. Why did you want Adaia here as we discussed this?"

Rhovaneth had a strong sense that telling them it was Fiona's demand would not further their cause, so she answered, "Because it involves your daughter and her magic. She has a right to be involved in this discussion, yes?"

Alistair was stern. "She is only nine years old. Kali and I will decide what discussions she is to be involved in."

Rhovaneth sat back. "I understand. Now that you know what this is about, can we bring Adaia back in?"

Alistair looked at his wife. "Well?"

"I think she needs to be here, love. We need to ask her if she's even willing to do this."

Alistair stood up. "I get her."

Once Adaia was in the living room, Rhovaneth explained what had been discussed, leaving out Fiona's involvement. "Are you willing to do this, _da'len_?

"Yes, I want to help!" Adaia exclaimed eagerly. She looked at her parents, "Why did you have me stay outside? Oran wouldn't have had to repeat what you just talked about."

"We wanted to know what it was before you heard it." Kali answered.

Adaia looked frustrated. "I'm not a baby, mama. I'm old enough to hear about this stuff. Grandma and Grandpa are in Thedas trying to save the mages. If this can help them, I want to do it."

Alistair stroked Adaia's hair and looked at her. "We don't want to put you in danger."

"I'm just sharing my power, daddy. That's easy."

"Yes, but we don't know how much power you can share and not be harmed."

"Isn't that why _Oran_ said we would test this?"

Alistair looked surprised. _She is growing up so fast_. He chuckled wryly, "You are so much like your mother. You sounded so practical, it makes me wonder why I was worried in the first place."

Adaia just grinned.

**~oOOo~**

Leliana had not spoken again about the proclamation; instead she focused on their trip to the Vigil and then to Highever. "I don't think Nathaniel will welcome me at the Vigil. Cassandra was…at her worst when we met with them."

Thinking back on her interactions with the Seeker, Val laughed. "Given my experiences with her, that isn't hard to believe. But don't worry; Nate is a good man. It'll be fine. I'm more worried about my talk with Loghain." Then Val thought a moment. "However, I did put myself between him and Maric's sword, so maybe he won't be too unpleasant to me."

Leliana said, wryly, "Hopefully, he doesn't believe in killing the messenger. Actually, I am most worried about our trip to Highever. Teyrna Rayne's brother is a mage in the Circle."

"I know, and I seem to be the face of the templars. Hopefully, I can convince Teyrn Fergus of the truth. He commands a great deal of respect and loyalty. If he understands that I am trying to fight for the mages, perhaps he can spread the word. Of course, he could just clap me in irons and toss me in his dungeon too."

Leliana looked at Val. "Don't jest."

Val sighed. "I'm not."

**~oOOo~**

**AN:**

Thank you to my readers! Special thanks to my reviewers: csorciere, Melysande, xseikax, and EasterViolet, and a huge thank you to Shakespira for being my beta and for her patience as my draft seemed to put the comma in exile!


	11. Limitations and Deception

**Chapter 11. ****Limitations**** and ****Deception**

The next day, Alistair, Kali and Adaia met Rhovaneth and Merenwen at the clearing beneath the oak tree. Adaia had bonded to the grand oak's acorns, and thus also to the tree. Rhovaneth was confident that this would be the ideal place to test the limits of the young mage's power.

The intensity of Alistair and Kali's worry was matched by Adaia's barely controlled excitement. Kali stood with Merenwen but Alistair stood near Rhovaneth and Adaia. Earlier, out of Adaia's hearing, Rhovaneth had tried, unsuccessfully, to convince Alistair that his templar abilities would not be needed…

"_Rhovaneth, I don't care. During the Blight I was pulled into the Fade against my will by a demon of sloth. When power and the Fade are involved, trouble is typically not far behind." _

"_But the Fade isn't involved. Adaia's power comes from nature, from this oak." _

_Alistair crossed his arms. "Magic can always affect the Fade. I'm not moving…"_

So Alistair stood near Rhovaneth and Adaia; his templar abilities were at full alert. On his back was his sword and shield and he prayed that he wouldn't have to use them.

"Daddy, why do you have your weapon and shield?"

_So I can strike down anything that crawls from Creators know where or…no, don't go there. _"Old habit, sweetling. Better have it and not need it –"

" – Than to need it and not have it," Adaia finished the sentence and sighed. "I know, I know." She turned to Rhovaneth. "Are you ready, _Oran_?"

"I am, _da'len_. Come and take my hand."

Adaia closed her eyes and slipped her hand into Rhovaneth's.

Alistair could feel the power surging from his daughter; it was unlike any he power he'd ever encountered.

After a few minutes, Rhovaneth's eyes began to change from brown to blue, the exact shade of Adaia's spell wisp. Adaia still had her eyes closed and still seemed relaxed as the power continued to flow into Rhovaneth.

It was completely silent in the clearing; even the rustle of the trees had ceased, as if the forest, like Adaia's parents, was holding its breath.

Without warning, Adaia pulled her hand away in alarm.

Surprised, Rhovaneth opened her wide; her pupils were completely dilated. Fear was clear in her hoarse plea, "Creators, this is too much!"

Adaia cried out. "_Oran_, perform a spell, quickly!"

Rhovaneth was already moving and plowed her hands into the dirt. The blue aura moved from Rhovaneth into the soil. When the last of the blue light vanished, the ground began to shake and a young oak tree erupted from the ground near Rhovaneth. It was five feet tall when it stopped growing.

The elven woman collapsed to the ground, conscious but exhausted.

"Oran! Are you alright?"

Alistair stood behind his daughter, watching Rhovaneth carefully.

"I…I am fine…Adaia. Exhausted, but fine."

The young mage moved to put her hand on her teacher's shoulder, but she stopped her. "No, _da'len_, I must recover on my own. Your power…is great…but too much for me to take…right now. Alistair, could you help me up?"

Once Rhovaneth was standing up, she looked at the small tree, then to Adaia. "How do _you_ feel? Are you drained at all?"

Adaia's brows furrowed in thought, then she smiled. "No. I feel fine, _Oran_."

Merenwen shook her head in disbelief. "That was…unexpected. Adaia, what made you release Rhovaneth's hand?"

"I felt I had to. I don't know how to describe it, it's like filling a cup with water and pulling it away before the cup overflows."

"Remarkable. You could tell when I had had too much, before I could." Rhovaneth couldn't keep the wonder out of her voice. "In all my long years, I have never seen nor heard of such ability."

Adaia looked worried. "Is that a bad thing?"

Rhovaneth smiled. "No, Adaia, it is an amazing thing. It is a gift."

Kali took Alistair's hand and looked at her husband. His expression mirrored her thoughts: _A gift from whom?_

**~oOOo~**

_~Mama's Boy _

_Thank you for the carbuncle cream we have all we need for now. It has made a big difference here.  
__One of the children we treated was so happy that she drew a picture for your mother; I have included it here._

_~Happy Feet._

Varric looked at the drawing and smiled. It was a child's drawing of a foot. On the big toe was a smiling face above the toe was written:

'_Thank u mamma, u maid mi sick tow better!'_

Varric he burned the note. "Ostwick it is."

**~oOOo~**

It was sunrise when Val and Leliana arrived in Amaranthine. During the boat ride from Denerim, the two women had agreed that they would stay in the Amaranthine Chantry. Val hadn't wanted to stay at the Crown and Lion because she'd known that the memory of the wonderful honeymoon she and Maric had shared would do nothing but upset her. Since she was leaving for Vigil's Keep in the morning, it was also the practical choice.

Leliana would stay on at the Chantry. Val was suspicious of the Seeker's motives; she'd rather have had Leli come with her to the Vigil, but Leliana had insisted…

"_Cassandra was at her worst and our meeting with Loghain and Commander Howe was bitterly contentious. If I went with you, it would make then both extremely uncomfortable. You do not need that, especially given the news you are bringing to Loghain, yes?"_

_Val had to admit that what Leliana was saying was true, but she was still wary. "Alright, you can stay in Amaranthine, but you must promise me that you will not pursue the issue of the proclamation. If you do, I am sending you back to Starkhaven…full stop."_

"_I understand, Val. I promise."…_

When they entered the Chantry, Val went by the name of Solana Carver. This time she was not a sister; she was simply Leliana's friend. Leliana did not want to divulge her own identity so went by Sister Lucie Aubrac, from Orlais.

Once in her room, Val dispatched a note to Nathaniel. Having nothing else to do but wait, her mind turned to Maric, and the memories of her honeymoon filled her her loneliness, she tried desperately not to feel the pain of Maric's absence, instead of focusing on the joy that they had experienced.

Leliana insisted on going to the inn for supper. Leliana told Val that they would be able to talk in private. Seeing her friend's mood Leliana regaled Val with humorous tales of her adventures

Val felt much better after dinner. _Leliana can be irrepressibly happy and it would take a far harder heart than mine to not be drawn in. _"Thank you, Leli. I really enjoyed the stories."

"Good, then perhaps you will feel more rested tomorrow morning."

When they returned to the Chantry, Val was surprised to have received a reply from Nathaniel so quickly. _They must also have messenger birds._

Sitting on the chair in her room she opened the short note.

_Val,_

_You are always welcome at the Keep. I know not what information you have for Loghain. Whatever it is, know that you have Beth's support, and mine._

_See you on the morrow._

_Nate_

Val blew out the candle, snuggled under the blankets and quickly fell asleep.

Leliana sat at the small desk in her room, took out a blank parchment, and began to write. She was up late into the night before she finished it.

**~oOOo~**

Rhovaneth had recovered sufficiently to be assisted home. Adaia happily chatted the whole way. Aside from Kali, who walked beside her, the rest of the group of adults were mostly silent, awed and in shock over enormous amount of power the young girl possessed.

The Theirins went home, but Merenwen and Rhovaneth stayed together and talked. They decided it was time to consult with Ríneth and her husband Faenor. They were the oldest of the elves in Revas, having gone into Uthenera in Arlathan just after the arrival of humans.

Sitting in Ríneth's and Faenor's great room, Rhovaneth explained everything. Both of the elder elves were stunned, but not unpleasantly.

In fact, Ríneth was practically bubbly. "I haven't seen this since…well since we lived in Arlathen! She felt no ill effects, _at all_, when sharing her power?"

Rhovaneth shook her head. "None. She didn't feel even remotely drained."

There was also an undercurrent of excitement in Faenor's expression. "Rhovaneth, how old is the oak tree to which she is bound?"

"She is bound indirectly to the tree, she bonded with its acorns. The tree is three hundred years old, I believe. Why?"

"Given her power it seems that she is more directly bonded with the tree, than you may have thought. The tree is three hundred years old? And you're quite sure?" Faenor questioned.

"I admit I am not a botanist, but short of taking a sample of its core, size is all I really have to go on. It is a powerful tree, but that isn't necessarily related to its age. Again, why are you asking?"

Faenor sat back, his expressions and mannerisms were ones of nervous excitement. "For certain trees, size is deceiving, it I'm right, then that tree is far, far different than you thought."

Rhovaneth looked wide-eyed at Faenor. "Surely you aren't suggesting–"

Faenor held up his hand. "We cannot speak of it here. We must return to the forest."

**~oOOo~**

Val arrived at Vigil's Keep in the early afternoon, and training and sparing were in full swing. Bethany practically pounced on her at the front gate, pulling her sister into a big hug.

"It is so wonderful to see you!" Bethany said out loud. Then she whispered into Val's ear, "Nate told me that you are here to speak with Loghain."

Val nodded, "So, how are things between you and Nate?"

Bethany blushed happily. "We are sharing quarters now. I was worried about what the other wardens would say, but they've been supportive and are happy for both of us."

"They are a good group, more like a family."

Bethany nodded. "That's something we learned from Alistair and our bond has only grown stronger with time."

"I'm really happy to hear that. When I see Alistair again, I'll tell him."

Bethany led Val to the guest room and they were met by Nathaniel. "Sorry for not being there when you arrived, but Rafe had some last minute business that I needed to tend to. It's good to see you!"

Val gave him a hug. "Good to see you too, but I wish it were under better circumstances."

"I don't know what you have to tell Loghain, but I'm assuming it is bad news?"

Val gave a quick nod. "Should I talk to him before dinner or after?"

Before Nathaniel could answer, a familiar voice came from behind them. "After dinner."

Val turned toward the owner of the voice. "Hi Rafe!"

Nathaniel rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Rafe, didn't you get enough of me over the last hour?"

Rafe smirked jokingly. "I can never get enough of you, Commander."

All four of them laughed. Then Bethany stood in front of Nathaniel and said, in mock anger, "Be gone, Rafe, he is mine!"

Val was laughing so hard, that she had to lean against the wall for support. Then she clapped. "Thanks, everyone. I needed that."

Rafe grinned and bowed, "We do two shows a day." Then he sobered. "Seriously, though, if it's bad news, tell him after dinner. Then he won't be under pressure to make an appearance in the dinning hall, which means less gossip."

Val nodded. "That makes sense."

Nathaniel nodded then looked at Val. "Rafe and I would like to know how the mage-templar situation is unfolding. Do you have time to meet with us while you're here?"

"Certainly. Though it depends on how things go with Loghain. If I end up in the infirmary, it might have to wait."

While her words were spoken in jest, it was obvious to Rafe, Bethany, and Nathaniel that her concerns were genuine.

Bethany put her hand on Val's shoulder. "What is it you have to tell him?"

Val shook her head. "I can't tell you. All I can say is that it isn't good news. I can meet with you tomorrow morning?"

Nate answered, "Of course, get settled in."

Val nodded and opened the door. Bethany looked at Nate and Rafe. "I'll have her back to you in time for dinner."

The two men got the hint. Nate gave Bethany a kiss on the cheek, "See you at dinner, love."

Bethany smiled at him. As the men walked down the hall, she practically pushed Val into the room and closed the door behind her. "What is going on?"

Val sat on the couch and sounded both weary and annoyed. "I can't tell you, Beth. If that's all you want to talk about, then go and let me rest."

Beth sat down next to Val. "Okay, okay, I'll wait. Why are you even in Ferelden?"

**~oOOo~**

The four elves arrived in the clearing. Immediately after Faenor put his hand against the oak tree and closed his eyes he was enveloped in a silvery glow. Ríneth held up her hand to the other two women so they knew not to interfere.

The glow turned blue; the same shade as Adaia's spell wisp, and cloaked both Faenor and the tree, and hid both from view. After a quarter of an hour, the glow dissipated. Faenor looked spellbound, then he turned to them, smiling, with tears in his eyes.

The tree, once an oak, was now a grand Vhenadahl.

**~oOOo~**

After dinner, Val pulled Loghain aside. "Loghain, I need to speak with you in private. I have an important message for you from Denerim."

Loghain was surprised that Val was acting as a messenger. He had known that Val was coming to the keep, but had assumed it was to see her sister. "I take it that this is why you're here?"

Val nodded.

Loghain couldn't help but feel a sense of dread and fear. "Let's go to my office."

Once Loghain closed the door, Val handed him a scroll. "This is from the King. Please read it. I am here to answer questions and provide…testimony if needed."

Loghain said nothing as he took the scroll. He sat at his desk unrolled it.

Not wanting to show him any possible disrespect, Val stayed standing, as she hadn't been given leave to sit. She watched him read the letter.

_Dear Loghain, _

_It is with profound regret that I inform you of Anora's arrest. She is being charged with attempted regicide and for plotting to murder Warden Commander Alistair Theirin and his wife and daughter. You are Anora's father and it is wrong for you to hear this from anyone else. I am sorry beyond words that I cannot come and tell you personally, but with the Queen in custody, I must stay here. _

_I have sent Val Hawke in my stead. She was an eyewitness to the events that transpired and can give you details and answer your questions. She is also the one who saved my life. I bid you to trust her as I do_

_The evidence we have includes both Anora's confession and several entries in her journal that she has admitted are her words, in her hand. At the end of this letter, I have written excerpts from some of the relevant pages. _

_I will not convene a Landsmeet until I have an acknowledgement from you indicating your receipt of this letter. Trying the Queen of Ferelden for attempted regicide demands an open and fair trial, and a final judgment that is as unbiased as possible. _

_For her safety, and comfort, she is being held under guard in her rooms in Palace. She is not allowed visitors, but I will lift that restriction for you. As her father you will have all the time with her you need._

_There is nothing else I can say. Again, I apologize for not being the one to tell you, but in this my duty as King outweighs my duties as husband and son-in-law._

_Maker be with you, and with Ferelden,_

_Aedan Cousland, Rex._

_Excepts from Journal~_

_**17 Haring, 9:39 Dragon**_

_I'm glad I have an ally in the Grand Cleric. She also sees the danger posed by the Warden-Commander and his daughter. As long as they live they are a threat to my rule. I'll give this task to Fallon; Rendon always spoke highly of his skills. Once they are taken care of, the issue of an heir will be far less important._

_Aedan would never understand. He may have been willing, albeit not overjoyed, to exile the Wardens if that is what it took to protect Ferelden, but he would never have had the guts to carry out what really needs to be done._

_**28 Wintermarch**_

_Alistair and his family are nowhere; it's like they fell off the face of Thedas. None of my contacts have heard anything. Nothing from Antiva or Navarra, even Orlais. I know they won't step foot in Tevinter. Where are they?_

_I can't wait any longer. I need to act. There are plenty of rumors of a Warden's being sterile, and I will not suffer the blame I did while Cailan was alive. I have to secure my throne some other way and this time with no Regent!_

_I think it's time to visit my Antivan friend. He's never let me down._

_**30 Wintermarch**_

_Aedan's appetite is going to be the death of him. Helpful that. Alas, I will miss his bedroom talents, but I won't have to worry about that for a few months._

As Val watched Loghain read, she saw his expression change from rage, to deep sorrow, to disgust.

He looked up. "Why are you still standing?"

"Out of respect for you. I thought it best to sit only when I had been given leave to do so."

Loghain's typically icy glare softened a bit. His voice was low. "Please sit, you need no leave from me."

Val sat on one end of sofa; Loghain walked over from his desk and sat on the other end. He said nothing as he looked at the fire.

Val reminded silent and waited for him to speak. After fifteen minutes she was beginning to wonder if he'd speak at all.

Then he looked at Val. "How were you an eyewitness?"

Val told him everything that had transpired, including getting the name of the poison from the Crow assassin, and especially about Clodovea's blackmail of Anora.

When she mentioned Leliana. Loghain bristled. "How much was _she_ involved in this?"

"She found the pages of the journal among Clodovea's things. After she gave the journal pages to us, she went back and killed her. She made it look like a suicide, and made Clodovea write a suicide letter that basically denounced the Proclamation. I was involved in all the events at the Palace including witnessing Aedan's confrontation with Anora and the arrival of Revered Mother Boann."

"Well, at least that Orlesian cow has gone to the Void."

"She was an evil piece of work. Loghain…I am so sorry that this happened. I cannot imagine what it's like for you, as her father."

Loghain looked haunted. "It's like looking at myself when Cailan…when I killed Cailan. I had hoped she would learn from my crimes. I had hoped her marriage to Aedan would be a good one for her and for Ferelden. But it seems that wasn't to be. Tell me, how is Aedan doing?"

Val didn't expect that question, but she answered with what she knew, "I think he is more angry at Anora for wanting to murder Alistair and his family than for her attempt to kill him."

Pain and guilt colored Loghain's tone. "That would make sense, given what Howe did to the Couslands. When I was in Montsimmard and the Antivan elf told me that Alistair's leaving was to save the lives of his and his family, I knew that Aedan couldn't be involved. That it was Anora's idea was bad enough, but I would never have thought that Anora would conspire to kill her own husband, her _king_." Loghain stood up and poured a brandy. He turned to Val. "Would you care for one Hawke, or do you prefer Lady Theirin?"

"Thank you, I would, and please call me Val."

Loghain nodded and poured brandy into a second glass. After giving the drink to Val, he sat down. His head and shoulders slumped in defeat and the blank look in his eyes seemed as though he had directed his thoughts inward. His voice was low and strained. "I have failed in so many ways, but none hurts more than this. My own daughter…how could she?"

Val assumed it to be a rhetorical question, so she stayed silent and sipped her drink, never taking her eyes off Loghain.

Eventually he looked up. He remembered how Val came between him certain death from Maric's blade. _Formidable was how I described her to Rafe_. "Val…how is Maric?"

Tear threatened to form, but Val answered calmly, "I am hoping that he's fine. The Templars and Seekers who parted from the Chantry have been organized into a new Inquisition. Maric is leading a team to Andoral's Reach to help the mages. I am here to gather mages and templars to help the mages in the fight. "

Loghain smiled without mirth. "It seems that Maric has stumbled into another rebellion."

"He told me about how the two of you met. Stumbled indeed."

"I take it you aren't on his team as you sided with the Templars?"

Val couldn't keep the sorrow out of her voice. "Yes, I am probably the last person they want to see. But Maric hopes to convince them otherwise."

Loghain's smile was genuine, but shrouded in grief. "Then he should have the mages eating out of his hand before you get there."

A smile of pride lit Val's face. "He does have a gift with people."

"Val, we never spoke after…after my confrontation with Maric. Why did you get in between the two of us?"

"I knew that if he killed you out of revenge, he would regret it for the rest of his life."

"I don't understand. He wants nothing to do with me, why would he have regretted it?"

"Because there is no justice in vengeance."

Loghain's next words were harsh but said gently, "You killed Anders, was that justice or vengeance?"

Val couldn't stop the tears from stinging her eyes. "Neither. It was punishment. Punishment I meted out to a man I loved."

Loghain slowly shook his head. "Has Maric told you of Katriel?"

"Yes."

"I don't think he was ever the same after that. I imagine that it was the same for you. Have Alistair and Maric met?"

Val did not understand where Loghain's mind was going with these questions, but she answered them as best she could. "Like Maric with Katriel, I killed a piece of myself when I killed Anders. Yes, Alistair and Maric have been reunited and have a good father-son relationship. Why are you asking?"

"Because I feel…lost knowing that Maric wants nothing to do with me, that I am as unimportant to him as yesterday's trash. He was like a brother to me and I killed a piece of him by killing his son. Talking with you now is the closest I will ever get to speaking with Maric."

Val heard the pain in Loghain's voice – raw and deep. She couldn't help but feel sorry for him, but she knew he'd brought this on himself, that his suffering was justice. "Why did you do it?" Val asked softly.

"Honestly, I don't know anymore. I…wish I could go back in time. But even then I don't know if the outcome would have been any different. If we'd answered the flanking charge then all of the armies would have been obliterated. There were too many darkspawn and too few wardens. What I should have done was listen to Duncan and waited for the Orlesian wardens, but my hatred of Orlais blinded me and it almost turned Ferelden to ruin."

Loghain stood up. His expression was taciturn once again as he said plainly, "I'm sorry for keeping you here. Thank you for bringing me the news and being here to answer my questions. I will speak with Nathaniel then write to Aedan to tell him I will be coming to Denerim. Thank you, Val, and good night."

Val was taken aback by the sudden dismissal, but didn't show it. "You are welcome. I will see you tomorrow. Good night to you as well."

It was almost midnight when she got back to her room. Rafe and Nathaniel were standing in front of her door waiting for her.

She looked at them. "What's wrong?"

Rafe answered. "My contacts have just informed me that _Inquisitors_ have entered Ostwick."

**~oOOo~**

**AN:** Disclaimer – BioWare owns all.

Thank you to my reviewers and those who have followed and faved this tale. Special thank you to my Beta, Shakespira for her editing skills, support, and making sure I am in the right tense!


	12. The Sacred and the Profane

**Warning: mentions torture, but not graphically**

* * *

**Chapter 12. The Sacred and the Profane**

They sat on the ground near the tree, as Faenor explained, "When Arlathan was first founded, the Creators gifted us a grand Vhenadahl. They told us that they had planted four such trees in other parts of the world. These would each serve as markers of a safe haven for the elvhen, if needed. The Creators endowed each of these trees with the power to watch over the land, and those living on it. The trees were also masked so they could blend in with the forest around them. The Creators said that they wanted to make sure that if anyone else had tried to settle the land, the Vhenadahl would remain safely hidden."

Ríneth took up the explanation from her husband, "This Vhenadahl is one of those four trees and is certainly why the Eluvian led you here, and why we were drawn to it from the Fade."

Merenwen asked, "The estate was here before us. Is it safe to assume whomever lived here first were not of the elvhen?"

Ríneth nodded. "It is. As far as I can tell, aside from the humans that currently live here, there are no others save our people."

"What about the Vhenadahl in the Thedosian Alienages? They do not possess this kind of power."

Merenwen frowned. "Only the four Vhenadahl were endowed by the Creators, correct? What about the one in Arlathan? It did not protect us from the Tevinter Magisters."

Ríneth expression was one of sorrow and confusion. "The Creators told us that as we had already settled in Arlathen, they felt that it wasn't needed to protect us, we didn't need a safe haven. That they could not foresee what eventually happened to us is probably the work of Fen'Harel. Thankfully only the Creators know where these trees are."

Rhovaneth sat down on the ground, in awe. "That means that Adaia's power is being drawn from the Creators?"

Faenor nodded "Indirectly, but yes. That it hasn't harmed her means that the power of the Creators has found the young girl worthy of such a gift."

Merenwen smiled. "Who gets to tell her parents?"

**~oOOo~**

Cullen had now received two reports from Ostwick, one from Masurian and the one in his hand: an encoded missive from Varric's main contact in Ostwick. He had decoded it with the special cypher Varric had created. For safety there was no salutation.

_The Inquisitors have taken over the Ostwick Chantry; they marched in, gathered everyone who was inside, worshipers and clergy alike, and slaughtered them, one at a time, in front of the rest. Then they dug a pit in the field behind the Chantry and dumped the bodies. This mass grave has grown as more are added._

_After taking over the Chantry, apostates were rounded-up like cattle and brought, collared and cuffed, to the center of town. The townspeople who happened to be there were made to watch. The Inquisitors randomly selected several of the captured apostates, and beheaded them. Maker save me, the sword was not razor sharp. _

_After these brutal beheadings, the other apostates were given the choice of death or being made tranquil. Some chose the painful beheading, but of those that did, a few were refused death and made tranquil instead. It probably comes as no surprise to you that those who were made tranquil against their will were the more attractive of the apostates. I fear for what will become of them. _

_Once the apostates were either killed or made tranquil, the Inquisitors took people from the crowd who they felt hadn't cheered loudly enough during the beheadings, which they said was proof of being a mage sympathizer. Those poor people were brought to the Chantry and tortured right under the statue of Andraste. I will not describe what was done to them, but the screams were horrific, as were the calm voices of the Inquisitors who asked, repeatedly, where they were hiding maleficarum. They made sure that they kept the victims alive until they either confessed – in which case the victim was killed once the information was extracted – or were driven mad if they refused to confess. No one has come out of the Chantry alive._

_Now, the Inquisitors are going door to door looking for apostates. If they find residents that aren't 'appropriately Andrastian' – Maker knows how they make that determination – the residents are scourged to purify them and thus made 'worthy to take in the Light of the Maker.'" Oddly enough, any children they find are spared. Instead, the Grand Inquisitor takes them outside of the house far enough where they cannot here the floggings. He reads to them from the Chant of Light and brings them back once his Inquisitors are finished and the parents are cleaned up. From what I know of Masurian's past, he was a boy when he had to watch as his parents and brother were murdered by the blood mage. I believe that's why he has a 'soft spot' – if you can call it that – for non-magical children; he never wants them to witness their parents being whipped._

_If there is any mercy in all of this, they are leaving tomorrow to return to Kirkwall._

Cullen, practically in tears at the brutality that had been inflicted on Ostwick, burned the missive. He knew precisely what methods of torture were used and he was sickened. He sat back in his chair, pushing down the bile that burned in his throat. The Grand Inquisitor had ordered a torture chamber to be built into the Gallows dungeon. Cullen knew that anyone going to that chamber would not come out alive. _I'm glad we were able to get some of the people out of Ostwick, but it not nearly enough. Once Masurian is back, he will tell me his strategy and then I'll know what cities would be targeted on their way to Andoral's Reach._

Cullen collected his thoughts. The smugglers have no idea that the lyrium was being diverted just after delivery. Adrián Castrilli, one of his men, hid a portion of each shipment before the tranquil accessed the storeroom; he left just enough to remain undetected. Soon, Cullen hoped, they would begin smuggling it back out of the Gallows.

Cullen slowly stood. He expected Masurian and his squad to return within the hour.

**~oOOo~**

Varric was on his way to the Merchant Guild meeting when a note arrived from Sol

_Story Teller ~_

_Contagious carbuncles are infectious. Mom's Carbuncle Cream is a wonderful curative, but it did not stop the infection from spreading to others. This must be stopped, but we will need to know where is has spread, so we can treat it. I believe that an altered version of Love's Radiant Heat is what we need. But we cannot fund this expedition on our own. Is there a way you can provide the funds? _

_~Not wanting to treat another, Sore Foot._

Varric smiled._ By happy coincidence I was leaving to do just that._

~oOOo~

Val was exhausted after recounting all that had happened since she and Maric had left Ferelden. "Leliana and I are going to Kinloch Hold to gather mages and templars. The King surprised us when he promised to lend us a couple of squads from the Royal Army."

Val saw that Rafe looked hesitant, like he wanted to ask something but wasn't sure how. "Rafe, just ask your question. I promise not to be offended."

Rafe cleared his throat. "How did Leliana react to the Proclamation?"

Val's expression hardened. "Not well. She argued with Aedan, and I had to threaten sending her back to our inn. Aedan had wanted to go forward with a modified version of it, but the suicide note Leliana made Clodovea write has made that almost impossible. I made her promise not to take any action against the proclamation while we are in Ferelden, or I would send her back to Starkhaven."

Nathaniel looked puzzled. "I am quite surprised that she made such a _promise_."

Val's anger turned inward. "I should have made it an order, not a promise. That was stupid. You're right. She had no problem getting into a rather loud argument with the King of Ferelden. She told Aedan that she thought the proclamation to be 'heretical.' Why should I have thought she would do nothing? I do know she has a conscience, perhaps she'd feel guilty breaking a promise to me?"

Rafe shook his head. "My guess is that she'll stick to the _letter_ of the promise. Most likely she will try to send a letter to the Divine, but won't mention the proclamation by name. That would not exactly be breaking a promise."

"Great, I'm not sure that's any better." Val sighed. "I think it's late and I need some sleep."

Rafe and Nathanial bid her good night and she went straight to her room and into bed, leaving a trail of clothes in her wake. She fell asleep as soon has her head his the soft pillow.

**~oOOo~**

After the eventful morning, Kali and Alistair decided to keep Adaia home from school for the afternoon. Although if they were honest they wanted to keep their daughter close while they tried to understand and absorb what they had seen the young mage do.

Adaia went to tend her garden. Her parents went to the morning room. Kali looked at her husband, he appeared more astonished than worried. She reached out and took his hand. "_Emma_ _Lath_, we need to talk about our daughter."

"I know. I just feel…I don't know…not worried…though I don't know why I'm not. I feel…awestruck."

Kali nodded and chuckled. "You and me both. The question is where did this power originate?"

"Wherever it's from, it wasn't the Fade. I can confirm that, at least." Alistair looked pensive and spoke softly so his voice wouldn't carry. "I wonder about my mother's line. She is the Grand Enchanter, an extremely powerful mage. What were her parent's like, or her grandparents?"

Kali shrugged, "Rhovaneth said it was a gift, perhaps it was a gift that was given to her, not inheri– " Kali stopped talking and quickly put Alistair's hand on her stomach. "Do you feel that?"

Alistair felt the soft thump from inside Kali's abdomen, and grinned with wonder. "The baby moved! Is this the first time?"

Kali nodded with tears in her eyes. "You were away from the Keep when Adaia first moved. I was heartsick because I thought you would never get to experience it. Amazing, isn't it?"

"It is."

They heard Marion greet Merenwen and Elrohir, who showed them into the morning room. Alistair and Kali stood and hugged their friends. Merenwen looked at the couple, "Did you just feel the baby move?"

Alistair nodded. "How did you know?"

Merenwen smiled. "I have seen that look many times on the faces of expecting parents. It is as unique as it is glorious."

Kali asked Marion for tea to be brought then sat across from the couple. "Would you like to stay for dinner and celebrate?"

Elrohir smiled and nodded. "We would love that, thank you."

Alistair put his arm around Kali's shoulder. "Was there something specific that brought you here?"

"My husband and I were planning on stopping by to see you, but we have some news for you as well."

Alistair arched an eyebrow. "Are we going to like this news?"

Merenwen nodded. "I think so. I hope so. We've determined the origin of Adaia's power."

After the last time they had discussed Adaia's magic, Alistair realized that his daughter was old enough to be included. "Hold a moment; I'll bring in Adaia."

Merenwen looked at Kali. "That is a change."

Kali nodded her head while beaming.

Before she could say anything further, Adaia came into the room and threw her arms around Merenwen and then Elrohir. "I'm glad you're here. Da said that you were staying for dinner! Can you tell us a story afterwards, Hahren?"

Elrohir laughed. "You know I can never deny the request for a story. Of course."

Kali cleared her throat. "Sweetling, the Keeper and Hahren have some news about the source of your power."

Adaia turned to the elven couple as she sat between her parents. "Really? What is it?"

Alistair was stunned that his daughter had only asked two questions, hardly the volley they were been used to.

"The tree to which you bonded isn't an Oak tree. It is a Vhenadahl; one of four planted by the Creators and empowered to provide a safe haven to Elvhen in need."

Alistair and Kali were speechless.

At first, Adaia was exuberant. "I have power from the Creators!" Then she sobered a bit. "Wait. Do they know that? Is it ok? I'm only part elven."

Merenwen gave the child a reassuring smile. "Yes they know your power comes from them indirectly, through the tree. As for it being okay, your ability to use the power without ill effect shows that you have been found worthy of such a gift, _da'len_."

Before Kali or Alistair regained their ability to speak, Adaia who looked both pleased and serious, asked, "Is there anything special I need to do with this gift." _Maybe I can help grandpa and grandma save the mages._

**~oOOo~**

Val woke up just after dawn. When she entered the hall in search of breakfast, she saw Loghain dressed for travel, speaking with Rafe. The warden stood ramrod straight, his typically taciturn expression, replaced with one of worry and determination. She couldn't hear the words exchanged between the men, but both voices sounded curt. She stayed hidden until Loghain left the hall then she made her presence known.

"Oh! Good morning, Rafe. You're up early."

Rafe smirked. "You would never make it as a spy, Val; you're as transparent as glass. How long had you been hiding?"

Val looked at her feet and responded sheepishly. "For a few minutes." She looked up, "I couldn't hear anything that was said, but the tone of your voices was rather brusque."

"Given Loghain's mood, brusque was the best I could hope for. Anyway, I don't blame him. He's going to Denerim to be with Anora."

"Does he believe she'll be spared?"

Rafe slowly shook his head. "He knows that she'll be executed. He said that there was no other way to handle this, and if he had been in Aedan's shoes he would have done the same thing."

Val looked heartsick. "I feel so sorry for him. But part of me says that now he will learn how Maric feels."

"Those are my thoughts exactly." Suddenly his eyebrows came together in anger. "I hate to start your day like this, but one of my contacts brought me _this_, just before dawn." He handed her a scroll; it was intercepted and decoded. "Once you read this, we need to meet with Nathaniel."

Val opened the scroll and read the missive.

_Most Holy, _

_The situation in Ferelden is extremely distressing, and somewhat horrifying. The Queen attempted to kill her husband and is now under arrest and awaiting trial for attempted regicide. _

_The King had already been poisoned when Val and I uncovered Anora's plan. However, by the will of the Maker, Val was able to determine the type of poison and saved King Aedan. _

_Grand Cleric Clodovea had found incriminating pages from Queen Anora's journal regarding not only her plans for murdering her husband, her plans to have Alistair Theirin and his family, killed. Clodovea used the pages to blackmail the Queen into declaring Clodovea as Ferelden's new Divine. I found the evidence of the blackmail scheme in Clodovea's room. The Grand Cleric must have seen the error in her ways as she committed suicide shortly thereafter._

_Revered Mother Boann brought the suicide note to the King. Upon hearing of Clodovea's death, King Aedan asked Revered Mother Boann to become_ Ferelden's_ Grand Cleric. She told the King that she needed to pray about it, but I fear she will accept. This would be a disastrous precedent, and could lead to a schism between Ferelden and the Chantry. It seems that King Aedan is under the mistaken impression that Orlais and the Chantry are one and the same. He is gravely concerned that if Orlais goes to war there would be nothing stopping the Chantry from calling on Fereldan's armies to fight for Orlais._

_There is more to tell you, but it will have to wait. By the time this reaches you, I will be in Highever. Val, as a favor to King Aedan, will inform the Teyrn about Anora. Val also hopes to bring the Cousland brothers back together, as a promise she made to the King. Given what happened to her family, Maric's son, and Sebastian's family, it is understandable for her to take such a task. Sometimes, I fear her heart is too large._

_In addition to helping the Cousland brothers, Val also wants to convince Teyrn Fergus that she is not the face of the Templars, and to get him to understand what really happened in Kirkwall. The Teyrn is powerful, and having him on our side can only help. From there we will proceed to Kinloch Hold._

_The King has been generous, though, and has promised to give us two of squads of his Royal army to assist us in defeating the Inquisition._

_Yours Faithfully,_

_Leliana._

Val was livid, then sneered. "Notice she said nothing about the proclamation, _directly_. But the Divine can read between the lines." Val crushed the scroll in her fist. "I thought working with Leliana would be easier than working with Cassandra. I was dead wrong. Cassandra is a dogmatic bitch, but she isn't devious. Hers and my plan was for me to send her a message letting her know when to meet me here. When Leliana gets here, I will confront her with this.

"Before you write the note, let's tell Nathaniel and discuss what you want to do next."

Val was still angry, but she managed to sound calm. "Let's"

**~oOOo~**

After meeting with Nate and Rafe, Val composed her note:

_Leli ~_

_Loghain didn't shoot the messenger after all! Even as I write this, he is traveling to Denerim. If he hadn't killed my husband's son, I might feel more sympathetic._

_I have smoothed things over with Nathaniel, and explained how difficult Cassandra can be to deal with, but that you balance her out. All is clear for you to meet me at the Vigil, as we planned. _

_Nate has some ideas about approaching Fergus that might work._

_See you within the next couple of days._

_May the Maker keep you safe,_

_Val_

Val scoffed as she rolled up the scroll. "Someone better keep you safe because I sure as shit won't."

**~oOOo~**

**AN: **Thank you to all who are sticking with the story. Thank you to Melysande for her review, and of course to my wonderful Beta Shakespira.


	13. Trust

**Chapter 13. Trust**

Maric and his team's journey continued to be uneventful. Leaving Perendale, heading towards Andoral's Reach, they rode along the knolls that marked the beginning of the Blasted Hills, beyond which they could see the rise of the majestic Hunterhorn Mountains, although the tallest of its jagged peaks, Mt. Ambrosia, was forever hidden in the clouds.

They were a day's ride out from Andoral's Reach when Maric decided to split the ride into two half-days, so they could arrive at their destination by midday and fully rested. It was the end of their first half-day ride when Maric signaled to make camp.

They followed the same routine they had since they'd left Hunter Fell: before so much as a bedroll was unpacked, Sketch and Teri examined the condition of the Veil. Once they were satisfied with its stability, Zevran and Maric scouted the immediate surroundings for possible dangers. Only when Maric was comfortable with the location, did he give the okay to set camp. Within an hour, the tents were up, a fire was kindled, and the watch schedule was set. Then Renna and Zevran would hunt for dinner. After they returned, Sketch and Teri set up a forty-foot perimeter of alarm and protection wards, then Sketch would cast a field that not only shrouded the campsite, but also masked the sounds and scents from within it.

The campsite Maric chose was near a copse of trees that provided additional camouflage since it was still daylight. As usual, Renna and Zevran went hunting, and this time they came back with rabbits, a rare treat that now smelled mouthwateringly good as they slow-roasted over the fire throughout the afternoon. The sun had not yet set when they finished dinner, and once everything was cleaned up, everyone relaxed by the fire to watch the setting sun. All was quiet.

Maric suddenly felt on edge. Something had made the hair on the back of his neck rise. He said softly, "Zevran, find the shadows. Renna take your weapons and sit next to me. Sketch and Teri find a covered position and prepare something non-lethal. Only attack on my signal."

No one questioned Maric; they had discovered early in their journey that he had an uncanny ability to sense danger. So, when the perimeter alarm wards tripped, everyone was already in position. The wards involved were on the western edge of the campsite. Maric and Renna moved away from the fire, and stood in the shadows. Maric saw Sketch's shroud suddenly glow a deep blue. There was a familiarity in the color and feel of the magic that someone was using to free themselves from the wards. It wasn't Adaia, he knew, but the similarity in the magic was uncanny.

He signaled to Renna to stay in place as he walked towards the west side of the camp, weapon at the ready. The glow dissipated, as did Sketch's shield. Maric saw three figures, silhouetted by the setting sun: a man and woman who each carried a staff, and another person who carried a sword and shield.

A pulse of rejuvenation magic suddenly washed over Maric and he now knew why the magic felt familiar. He lowered his weapon, just before the three entered the campsite. He said, "Fiona, it's been a long time."

**~oOOo~**

Val knew she needed to shed some of her anger and tension over the situation with Leliana, or she would simply seethe until she arrived. Nathaniel suggested that she spar with his senior wardens. She readily agreed however, as she approached the practice field, she looked askance at the crowd that had gathered.

Bethany had caught up to her, and noticed Val's expression. "Sis, you didn't spar either time you were here." Bethany forbore bringing up the night of the mulled wine, which happened during Val's first visit. "It's natural that they would want to see the 'Woman who Killed the Arishok' spar with one of their own. In fact, I'm quite sure coin is changing hands even as I speak."

Val smirked. "Well then, I suppose I shouldn't disappoint them. Perhaps this will put to rest the Mulled Wine Incident."

Bethany laughed, "I'm glad you brought that up. I didn't want to say anything."

Both women were smiling when they reached the practice field, around which the wardens had gathered. Val walked to the center of the field. _Well, I'd better make it a good show. _She grinned. "So, who thinks they can take me?"

The sound of laughter, shouts, and whistles spread through the crowd, which parted to reveal a large man with black hair, dark-eyes, and a swarthy complexion. He carried a large, two-handed sword – blunted for sparing.

Val quickly sized him up: _he is slightly larger and taller than Maric. Hmm, he has a rolling gait, not typical for a warrior._ _Agile it would seem. His legs probably move quite a bit when his blade isn't actively engaged, unusual enough for someone wielding a two-handed blade; that could easily distract an opponent. _She smiled and extended her hand. "And you are?"

He grasped her hand, gently. "Warden Tynan, Lady Theirin."

Val chuckled. "Please, we're going to hit each other with swords, call me Val."

Tynan smiled. "Well met, Val. Shall we begin?"

Val nodded and saluted him with her sword, then rolled to her battle stance.

Tynan watched her flow into her stance; she looked completely relaxed and calm, which he found to be disconcerting.

Her years as a warrior taught her to be hyperaware of her opponent so she could detect what were often very small body movements that could tell her the fighter's next move. While they circled each other, Val was calm and focused – nothing existed but Tynan. He stood with his sword raised to chest level. From that position Val knew he'd maximized his options for attack. Then she saw it: Tynan's right thigh-muscle twitched and she was sure he was going step back and use that leg to propel his sword forward into an upward swing that could catch her shield and wrench it from her arm.

Because she'd anticipated the move, Val's shield was in position to bash his sword back and down, which forced the warden to twist his torso away form her. Then she swung her blade at his knees. The strength of her hit, combined with his being off balance toppled the Tynan to the ground.

He was flat on his back; Val held the point of her sword to his throat and smiled. "I believe that's one for me."

She held out her hand to help him up. The crowd roared and she heard the distinctive sound of coin as it moved from hand to hand.

For the rest of the afternoon, Val happily sparred with the wardens.

**~oOOo~**

The elven mage came into the light. Her bearing was more regal than he remembered. She still wore her dark hair short, but he could see the silver in it as it gleamed from the light of the campfire. When Fiona smiled he could see the crow's feet around her dark eyes, but other than that, she looked very much as he remembered.

"Maric, I'm glad you've arrived. You are a welcome sight."

The husky voice he remembered from thirty years ago hadn't changed, either.

He noticed Fiona's traveling companions. The other mage, a male, looked to be in his late thirties, his dark hair and beard were also streaked with silver. Standing next to him was a sword and shield fighter, wearing plate and helm; Maric could see that the warrior was female, but little else.

Using Fiona's own words from thirty years ago, Maric said, "It seems as if the Maker willed us to meet again."

Fiona nodded. "It is _Andraste_ that has guided us."

While Maric was pleased that Andraste had prepared the way for his team, he still felt that something was off."It would appear so. But if you knew we were coming to you, why are you _here_?"

"I'm glad to see that you are as cautious as always. First, let me introduce my companions. Rhys and Evangeline, please meet Maric Theirin."

Rhys smiled. "It isn't everyday you meet a legend. Well met."

Evangeline took off her helmet; she was a beautiful woman. Her hair was the same jet black as Val's. She extended her hand. "Evangeline de Brassard."

Maric took her hand. "Well met. Both of you." He did not give the all clear signal. He signaled for everyone save Zevran to come out.

When they stood near Maric, he introduced Sketch, Teri, and Renna.

Sketch's eyes narrowed a he looked at Evangeline. "You are a Templar." Sketch stated it as a fact, not a question.

Evangeline nodded. "I _was_ a templar."

Teri also focused on Evangeline, "I sense a presence that is a part of you; I would say it is a spirit, but you are not a mage."

Fiona smiled. "You travel with excellent mages, Maric." She looked at Teri, "Evangeline carries with her the spirit of Faith. It is a long story and one that is not fit for the campfire."

Maric noticed that Rhys' smile, while still on his face, vanished from his eyes.

"You still didn't answer my question, Fiona. Why are you _here_?"

Fiona ran her hand through her spiky locks. "You never did let anything go, did you, Maric? All right, we are here as your escort. There are Resolutionsists out there that would think nothing of killing you and Renna so they could 'rescue' Sketch and Teri."

Fiona watched as Maric crossed his arms. _He is still every bit as handsome as he was._

"We've been traveling on horseback since Hunter Fell and we've encountered no trouble. Being a small team gives us the advantage of stealth and mobility. I'm going to guess that there are more than three of you?"

Rhys spoke, his baritone accented his cultured speech. "Given your team only has two mages and two warriors, I believe your safety is more due to luck than the size of your team."

Maric arched an eyebrow. "Really? Think again." Maric gave a short, sharp whistle. Suddenly, two throwing knives landed just in front of Fiona and Rhys, then Evangeline felt a dagger pressed to her throat.

Just as the mages lifted their staves Maric lifted his hand. "Hold!" When he again had their attention, he smirked. "Well done, Zev."

Zevran appeared from behind Evangeline and grinned. "My dear mages, you would both be dead and your lovely warrior's throat would have had been slit."

Maric gestured to Zevran. "Please meet Zevran Arainai, the _fifth_ member of my team.

Zevran nodded then turned to Maric. "They have a complement of three mages and five other fighters just beyond the perimeter."

Rhys and Evangeline looked surprised and then annoyed, but Fiona laughed. "Well done, Ser Arainai. Maric, it would seem that you are still adept at surprising me."

"As the games have concluded, bring your company here so we can get them settled in. Now that we have expanded our group from five to sixteen my existing strategy for the last leg of our journey needs to be revised. We can do that first thing in the morning. Fiona, are you the commander of your group?"

"Yes, but I will inform them to take orders from you as well."

Maric nodded. The whole situation clearly irritated him, but he was trying to calm down. "Alright, let's get moving."

It took a while to situate everyone. Sketch and Fiona both put up wards and alarms, Zevran also laid down traps. Maric kept the same watch schedule, but paired Rhys with Renna and Evangeline with Teri. Maric was on first watch.

Everyone had bedded down and the camp was finally quiet. Maric sat in the shadows of the campfire, and was not at all surprised when Fiona appeared from her tent and sat down next to him.

"Joining me for first watch?"

"Yes, in part." She paused; her expression was one of uncertainty. "I never thought I would ever see you again, Maric."

The pain Alistair suffered as a result of his and Fiona's arrangement still rankled, and colored his tone more than he'd planned. "That was your plan, wasn't it? When I asked you if I'd ever see you again, you said, 'If the Maker wills it." **

Fiona arched an eyebrow, her tone curt. "Surely you aren't still bitter that I left you? As I understand you are happily married.

"I'm not bitter about your leaving me. I am bitter about us leaving Alistair. I should have never kept that promise, Fiona. He needed to know his true heritage. He needed to know that he was created from love, not a quick tumble with a serving wench."

Fiona looked down and sighed deeply. When she looked up, her eyes reflected the sorrow that filled her heart. "It was a promise I should never have asked you to make, and for that I'm sorry."

Her apology was welcome, but Maric was taken by surprise. "Why?"

"I was stupid to think that his being raised without his father, thinking that his mother had died, would somehow give him a fresh start. I wanted him to have a good life. You're right, he needed to know who I was and that he was created from love."

Maric sighed. "We both erred. I chose his foster father poorly, and Alistair suffered the consequences of that as well. If it's any consolation, he is getting his fresh start. He no longer carries the taint, and he and his wife are now expecting their second child. Alistair has a wonderful marriage and a wonderful daughter. He now has everything you and I would have wanted him to have, and what we couldn't have together."

Fiona nodded. Then she looked at Maric, her expression becoming hard, her voice somewhat bitter. "I understand that you have been given your own fresh start; you married the Champion of Kirkwall."

Maric knew that Fiona's tone had little to do with Val's actions and was more about his having moved on. "I married Valentina Hawke, the former Champion of Kirkwall."

In the abstract, Fiona could accept that Maric had remarried and was happy. But sitting next to him, seeing a love in his eyes that he'd never shown her only embittered her further. "Andraste told me what happened in Kirkwall, so I know that she isn't the horror we thought her to be. I have been trying to convince those at Andoral's Reach about your wife, but it has proven more difficult than I had anticipated."

Maric's eyes narrowed, his voice uncharacteristically sarcastic. "I'm sure you believed the acrimonious tone in your voice would make is so much easier to win them over."

Fiona simply stared at Maric.

"You are Alistair's mother; he knows that, and that will never change. I don't regret a moment you and I spent together. So listen carefully, because I won't say this a second time. I adore my wife. Val is a wonderful and loving person. She sided with the templars because Anders left her with no choice. She killed in cold blood the man that she loved, because of what he'd done. Somehow that always gets left out of the story. She fully supports the mages and she is willing to lay down her life for them, if necessary. You need to lose the attitude, and when you speak of her it will be with respect, because she deserves no less! Am I clear?"

Fiona nodded her head, defeated. "Yes, you are. Perhaps your presence will be able to do what I could not. Andraste warned me of this. I should have waited for you before I tried to tell them about your wife."

Maric stood. "It's time for the next watch. My wife has a name, Fiona. It's Val. When you speak of her, use it. Unless you want me to refer to you as _mage_"

Without another word, Maric left to wake up Renna and Rhys.

Fiona looked blankly into the fire.

**~oOOo~**

Leliana was her typically effervescent self when she arrived at the Vigil, hugging Val, genuinely happy to be reunited with her.

"I am so glad things have gone well for you here! I know it couldn't have been easy facing Loghain again. He left for Denerim, yes?"

Val nodded, trying to keep the anger out of her voice. "He did. I take it your trip was uneventful?"

Leliana narrowed her eyes and looked concerned. "Are you all right? Did something else happen here?"

Earlier, Nathaniel had told Val that she could have the use of his office when Leliana arrived. He'd explained to her that there were four runes located in the office: one on the underside of his desk, one under the side table near the fireplace, one behind the right curtain of the window, and on the wall next to the door, under the bell pull. Touching a rune alerted the Wardens on duty that the Commander or whomever else he had given leave to use the office, was in danger and needed help.

"What I need to speak of requires privacy. Nathaniel has allowed me the use of his office."

Without further conversation, Val turned towards the stairs. Leliana could do nothing else but follow.

Once Val closed the door, she sat behind Nathaniel's desk. Leliana was confused and stayed standing.

Val gestured to the comfortable chair in front of the desk, and said solemnly, "Please, sit down."

Leliana slowly sat and waited. After long moments, she saw Val take two parchments from a folder on the desk and hold them up.

Her voice was commanding and cold. "Recognize this?" Val placed the original on the desk in front of Leliana. "It seems that the parchment upon which your letter was written costs more than your promise was worth!"

Leliana sat up straight; her surprise at seeing her letter in Val's hand was clear in her expression.

"I know you are a formidable bard, but you seemed to have forgotten - there is always someone better."

"I did not mention the existence of a proclamation, everything I said was true!" Leliana said defiantly.

Val was in a cold rage; her voice was calm and her speech deliberate. "No, you said that Queen was being blackmailed by Clodovea into making her the new Divine. That Aedan had a mistaken impression about the interrelationship of Orlais and the Chantry, and to put the cherry on top, that Revered Mother Boann's agreeing to be Grand Cleric could lead to a schism between Ferelden and the Chantry. No, you did not mention the proclamation. But unless Justinia V has suddenly been rendered stupid, she will know that the King of Ferelden doesn't want to make nice with the Chantry anymore. Now, we will dispense with what you did _not_ do, and focus on what you did, yes?"

Leliana looked unrepentant. "My loyalty is to the Maker and his chosen Divine. What King Aedan wants to do is heresy and must be stopped!"

"Your loyalty is to the Divine, and unshakeable, yes?"

Leliana nodded. "Yes, completely."

"Then perhaps you didn't hear me at the castle. The Divine has placed me in command. You are to obey me just as you would obey the Divine. If an order I give isn't clear, you may ask me for clarification. You are not to interpret my orders to suite your own needs ever again! Is that clear, Seeker?"

Leliana was silent. She was angry at Aedan for his heretical acts, angry at herself both for disobeying and for getting caught.

When Leliana didn't answer quickly enough, Val roared. "IS THAT CLEAR?"

Leliana startled. "Yes, yes! It's clear."

Val sat back down, her expression now careworn and weary. "Why did you do it? Don't tell me that you misunderstood. You knew damn well that I would never have approved of your sending that letter. Do you have so little respect for me?"

"No…of course not. I respect you tremendously."

"Then you have a lousy way of showing it."

Val stood up and walked over to the fireplace and stoked the fire. Then she stood in front of Leliana, who was still sitting. "I was going to send you packing, and ship your arse back to Starkhaven. But I realize now that I can't do that. Do you know why?"

Leliana slowly shook her head.

Val put a hand on each arm of Leliana's chair and leaned forward. The pain was clear in her voice. "Because I realize that I can trust Cassandra more than I can trust you and that is a sad thing."

Leliana felt completely defeated. Val was absolutely right. She would never have acted this way if she'd made a similar promise to Justinia. "What will you have me do?"

"You will continue working with me as before, with the understanding that you will obey my command, without hesitation. You will conduct yourself as you would around the Divine. If you disobey any of my orders again, you will be placed under arrest. Nathaniel has agreed to keep you in the Vigil's prison until I decide to retrieve you. Is this clear?"

"Yes, completely."

"Good. Guard?"

A door opened and one of Rafe's hand picked guardsman entered the room. His name was Lyle.

"Guardsman Lyle, please escort Sister Leliana to her guest quarters. Sister Leliana, you will remain there until I order otherwise."

Leliana nodded. "Yes, Val."

Lyle motioned to Leliana. "Sister? If you will follow me."

After the door closed, Val sat on the couch in front of the fire and put her head in her hands, feeling miserable. She didn't hear the door open. But she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Nate.

"Val, you look like you need a drink."

"Actually, could I have some tea? I need to settle my stomach."

"As you wish."

After Nathaniel signaled for the tea, he took a seat next to her. "I can see how you've inspired such loyalty. You're a lot like Alistair and Maric. There is a genuineness to you, and people don't want to disappoint you."

Val chucked. "Yes, that worked so well with Leliana."

"Rafe and I heard, and saw, the whole thing. Leliana is ashamed of herself. She respects how you've comported yourself, and is now ready to show you the loyalty you deserve. You'll see. You did good, Val."

Val smiled wanly. "Thanks Nate."

The tea arrived. "Are you sure you don't want anything added to your tea?"

"I'm sure."

**~oOOo~**

Leliana sat in her room. It was an interior room with no window, other than that the room was nicely appointed and comfortable. She went to the bed and knelt beside it. _Blessed Andraste, I need your guidance. I am so confused. How can I ignore what Ferelden wants to do? First Tevinter and now Ferelden. Is Aedan right? Would Orlais try to make the Chantry order Ferelden to give them aid? Forgive me, Blessed Andraste, my mind is wandering. Please bless Valentina, she has been fair, far more so than I deserved. I am ashamed that it took Val to make me realize that I have been prideful. She said it right; there is always someone better. _

From deep within her mind, Leliana heard a still, small voice. 'Focus on what you and Val are trying to achieve. Forget about everything else. If the veil sunders, nothing else will really matter.'

**~oOOo~**

The light of dawn cast its glow on the campsite, and filtered into the tents. Maric loved to wake up at dawn, it was always quiet and a welcome way to begin a new day. Waking up with Val in his arms had made the dawns complete. Lying on his bedroll staring up at the top of his tent, he remembered the first time he and Val had awoken together - it was the first time they'd made love…

_It was just after dawn. He'd woken up to the feeling of Val's warm back pressed against his chest. They were spooning. He had one arm lying gently over her waist the other was the being partly used as a pillow. Once he knew she was awake he tightened the arm around her waist and pulled her in; his other arm cradled her shoulders._

_She had turned in his arms so she was facing him and whispered, "Good morning, love."_

_He smiled. "It is a __very__ good morning. How did you sleep?"_

_"Better than I have in a long time, and you?"_

_"I had you in my arms all night. I slept wonderfully."_

_Val blushed. "I think I heard everyone leave to take Adaia to see Merenwen. She sounded very excited."_

_"Adaia is an amazing young girl."_

_Val smiled. "Says the proud grandpa."_

_"Proud indeed."_

_Then he gave her a smile that wasn't in the least bit filial. "So, we have the house to ourselves, do we?"_

_"It would seem so. Except of course for Lyna and Mari-"_

_He had ended the conversation as he captured her mouth with his… _

After that morning, he had greeting each new day with Val in his arms. Since they'd parted, dawn has lost much of its luster, but he hoped that each knew day would bring him closer to her.

He missed Val desperately. Each morning since they left Starkhaven, Maric had made a conscious effort to focus on the tasks ahead. This morning, the task was traveling with Fiona and her company. _I really was harsh with her last night, but it's vital that she accept Val if we are to make Andoral's Reach safe for her. _He got out of his bedroll and started his day.

When Fiona came to the fire, Renna was dressed and making breakfast. Aside from her being Alistair's mother, and a former Grey Warden, Renna knew little about the elven mage. "Good morning, Grand Enchanter."

Fiona chuckled. "Please, just call me Fiona. Good morning to you too, Renna. Are you usually the one who cooks?"

"Zevran and I share that duty."

"You don't allow Maric to cook, do you?"

Renna smiled. "He told us that we'd all be happier, and healthier, if he was forbidden from cooking. I take it you've had to eat his food?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I think I would have rather eaten a darkspawn, which were plentiful in the Deep Roads."

Renna laughed. "Well, then we should thank Maric for looking out for us."

"Looking out for you how?" Maric asked as he appeared from his tent.

Fiona smiled. "By not exposing them to your cooking. I remember the one meal you made while we were in the Deep Roads."

"What, you didn't like my deep stalker stew?" Maric grinned as he said it.

Renna laughed. "Fiona said she would have rather eaten a darkspawn."

"Truth to tell so would I. I really can't cook. Thankfully, I have a cook and Val loves to cook. The first meal she made for us was a shepherd's pie, it was the best I had ever had."

"Did she let you near the kitchen?" Fiona asked.

"Yes, in fact, she let me peel and cut the potatoes."

Fiona nodded. "Brave woman."

**~oOOo~**

Val was going to lunch; as she approached Leliana's room she stopped and knocked. The bard opened the door. To Val's surprise, she had a smile on her face.

"Good afternoon, Val."

Val's response was pleasant but guarded. "To you as well. I wanted to let you know you could leave your quarters. Would you care to walk with me to lunch?"

"Of course, come in for a moment."

Once Leliana closed the door, she turned to Val. "I am so sorry for writing that letter. I know it doesn't change anything, but I do regret it. I… was praying last night…and it came to me that I need to focus all my energy on what you and I are doing, because if the mages lose and the Veil sunders, _nothing_ else will matter."

Val couldn't help but think that Andraste may have answered another prayer. "I'm glad. You're right. If we fail…" Her imagination brought forth terrifying images. Val shook her head as if to knock them out of her mind. "We can't fail. I'm glad to have you back on board, but my orders from last night stand."

"Of course, I lost your trust. I understand and I will work towards winning it back again, however long that takes."

Val extended her hand. "Thank you, Leliana. I know this hasn't been easy."

Leliana grasped Val hand in hers. "The thanks go to you, my friend. You are an extraordinary commander. I believe I have and will learn more from you than I ever learned from Cassandra."

Val, always uncomfortable with that kind of praise, stammered a bit. "Thanks…let's head to lunch. I want to get there before the wardens have eaten everything in sight."

When they reached the dinning hall, Nathaniel, and the senior wardens had already arrived, but the food was still plentiful. Nathaniel waved them both over.

Val and Leliana got their meal and went to sit across from Nathaniel. Once they were seated, Nate started, "I've been thinking a lot about your next destination. Let me send a note in advance and then accompany you."

Leliana arched her eyebrow. "Given what happened to the Couslands, are you and Fergus still friends?"

Nathaniel didn't answer for a moment. His expression was both thoughtful and weary. He was trying to find the right words to talk about that painful time in his life. "Fergus and I were best friends before I left for the Free Marches and we corresponded while I was gone. Then he suddenly stopped writing. When I arrived back in Ferelden it was after the Blight, and I had heard what had happened. I did not believe my father could have done that. I was enraged at Aedan for killing him. Fergus felt that I had betrayed our friendship, just as my father had betrayed Bryce.

"I was in the Vigil's jail when Alistair found me. I had come here to steel back some of what was mine. I was angry and hurt, and frankly quite a bastard. Alistair told me later that he had seen something in me. He said he was going to give me a chance to prove it, so he conscripted me. When Fergus heard about it, he arrived at the Vigil demanding blood rights. Alistair refused and was able to get him to go back to Highever. Once I was reunited with my sister, Delilah, she told me what my father had become, what he'd done, and I was devastated. I understood why Fergus wanted to kill me and was mourning the loss of our friendship. It was Alistair who brought us back together. It took a few years, but we made it.

"The reason I'm telling you this that I know how much Fergus hates what happened in Kirkwall. His brother-in-law, Gavin, is a mage in the Ferelden circle. As Teyrna Rayne is pregnant, there is a chance that their child will be a mage. Fergus already lost his first wife and son to violence. He is scared to death of losing either Rayne or the baby, not to mention Gavin as well. Val, he holds you responsible for killing the mages. If I go with you, I can get him to talk with you. If you went without me, he would throw you into the dungeon…at best."

Val sighed. "I was afraid of that. Thank you, Nathaniel. I appreciate all that you are doing for us and we would enjoy your company. I am to assume you will be traveling as Arl Howe and not the Warden Commander? I would hate to have the wardens accused of meddling in political matters on my account." _Enough people hate me as is._

"You are correct; I will be traveling as Arl Nathaniel Howe. Thank you for understanding. I'll send a message to Fergus and we can leave tomorrow, if that suits. I know Bethany will want more time to visit with you."

Val smiled and nodded. "I would like that too."

**~oOOo~**

Maric insisted that they travel in two groups of eight rather than a large group of sixteen. Maric led one group and Fiona the other. Rhys, Evangeline, and Sketch were with Maric. Renna, Teri, and Zevran were with Fiona.

They arrived at Andoral's Reach midday, without incident.

Maric took in the old Tevinter fortress; though the ruins were still impressive they provided shelter, but little else. He looked at Fiona. "How many people are here?"

"Two hundred and forty three"

"We have much to discuss and do before we can even think of fighting the Inquisition."

Fiona sighed, "I do not share Andraste's confidence…we will be slaughtered."

Maric shook his head. "You do remember that my rebels defeated the Orlesian army? I have many tricks up my sleeve."

"But we only have a few here that are not mages."

"That will change." Maric said confidently.

Fiona looked unconvinced.

**~oOOo~**

Fergus looked at the note from Nathaniel. "The Champion of Kirkwall here? Is he crazy? She murdered innocent mages!" _What if the Greagoir had succeeded in his effort to transfer Gavin to Kirkwall? He would have been among those she massacred._" Fergus re-read the note and sighed. "He begs me to trust him and I do, but this woman is a trained killer. She killed the Qunari Arishok in single combat. There is no way I am keeping her in this castle unless she is suitably restrained." Fergus signaled for his Guard Captain.

**~oOOo~**

Nathaniel, Val, and Leliana were ten miles from Highever when their way was blocked by the Highever Guard. Val looked at Nathaniel. "Well, I guess he got your letter."

Nathaniel frowned. "Wait here." He rode forward to the guard. The Captain pointed to Val as he spoke to Nate.

She watched and looked at Leliana. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Leliana was about to respond when Nate and the Captain rode up to them.

Val noticed, while Nathaniel didn't look happy, neither did he look worried.

The Captain looked at Val. "Valentina Hawke, by order of the Teyrn of Highever, you will surrender your weapons and armor to me."

Val took a deep breath and slowly let it go. She surrendered herself completely both in voice and expression "I will do as the Teyrn has ordered." She dismounted, took off her sword, shield and dagger, then her armor. That left her in leggings and her gambeson. "May I take the time to put on some trousers, it's a bit chilly."

The Captain nodded, but inspected them first.

Once the Captain was satisfied, they continued on to Highever. When they arrived in the courtyard, they saw a full complement of the Highever Guard standing in formation. At the front stood the, fully armed, Teyrn of Highever.

Val looked over the troops. _Creators, what do they believe I can do without weapons and armor? Do they think that I can simply kill them with my gaze?_

It was a few moments before the Captain spoke. "Valentina Hawke you will dismount and let my guardsman bind your wrists."

Nate was about to speak but Val gave him a sharp shake of her head. She addressed the Captain. "I will do as commanded."

Only when Val's hands were bound and four guardsmen surrounded her, did the Captain indicate to Nate and Leliana to dismount and follow him. Val was, escorted to Fergus and gently pushed to her knees. She bowed her head.

Fergus' eyes narrowed. "I am glad you accepted my terms. I would not have entertained a meeting with you otherwise. However, it is one thing to agree to meet with you. It is quite another to let one with your reputation loose in my home."

"As you command, Your Grace. I am thankful that you have agreed to meet with me and I understand that you are only doing so because of Arl Howe. Who also has my gratitude."

Fergus was caught off-guard by Val's easy surrender. _I would have expected some resistance. Anger, worry, anything but this penitent serenity. _"You will be escorted to the jail and afforded amenities. There you will stay until we meet."

"I understand, Your Grace."

After Val was led away, Nathaniel and Leliana approached. Fergus looked at Leliana. "Because you are a friend and Blight companion of my brother, the King, you will be accorded full guest status, even though your choice of traveling companion deeply worries me. Please do not make me regret this."

"Thank you, Your Grace. I am fortunate to travel with Valentina…Hawke, which you will understand once you meet with her. You will not regret your decision."

Before Nate could speak, the Highever steward came forward. "Arl Howe, Sister Leliana, please follow me, I will show you to your rooms."

Nate stopped. "No, wait a moment, please." He looked at Fergus, "Your Grace, your welcome confuses me."

"I agreed to meet with her, Nate, but I believe she is a dangerous, heartless murderer. If she is as you say, then I have no cause against her. If I'm not convinced then I _will_ execute her for what she did in Kirkwall, and remove her as a threat to the Fereldan mages." He saw Nate's jaw tighten and said softly, "Please, Nate do as I ask. I speak the truth, if you are right about her then there is nothing to fear."

Nate nodded his head. "I understand. I may not agree, but I understand. More importantly, I believe Val does too."

Leliana refused to say a word.

**~oOOo~**

**AN**: ** is a quote from page 444 of The Calling.

Thank you to my readers, and to EasternViolet, csorciere, and Melysande, and Shakespira for your reviews. To Shakespira, my wonderful beta, a huge hug and thanks.


	14. Serenity, Sorrow, and Surprises

_AN at the end_

**Chapter 14. Serenity, Sorrow, and Surprises.**

Val was quite surprised when she saw her cell – it had a comfortable-looking cot, a desk and chair, and a curtained off area with a bathtub and chamber pot – it didn't look like any prison cell she had ever seen or heard of.

_Aside from the bars, it's cleaner and nicer than the rooms at the Hanged Man_, _which were already a step or two up from Gamlen's house. _ Val shuddered at the memory of Gamlen's hovel in Lowtown.

The guards inspected her rucksack before returning it to her. Val took a quick look inside, relieved to see that the scrolls from Aedan were still sealed and looked untouched.

She sat at the desk and pulled out her journal and writing materials. _I need to write instructions in case things go badly._ But she just stared at a blank parchment for a long time, in part trying to gather her thoughts but mostly to quell her fears. Then slowly, haltingly, Val began to write.

Once she finished, she wiped the tears from her eyes, and opened her journal to the next blank page and wrote.

_Emma Lath,_

_If you are reading this, then I have gone where you cannot follow. _

_There is nothing I can say. If our places were reversed I know that no words would ease my pain. Just know this - my time with you has been the greatest gift I have ever been given and I will treasure it for as long as my soul roams the Fade. _

_I don't know what the future holds for Thedas but, please Beloved, do not go down with the ship. Leave and be with those who can help you heal. I know you think that it would be impossible to feel anything except what you're feeling now, but you have to think about family, too. Grandfathers are precious beings to granddaughters; do not deprive her of another one. El'asha na isala. Our girl needs you._

_Ma emma sa'lath, emma sa vhenan'ara, _

_You are my one love, my hearts one desire_

_Ma'arlath,  
__Val_

It was impossible to stem the tears that now clouded her vision so she put down the quill and closed the journal. She lay down on the cot with her back towards the guardsman, and gave herself over to her grief and her fear.

Guardsman Sykes had been watching her as she wrote what he presumed was a message of farewell. He seen prisoners write similar letters, but her behavior was quite different - the profound sorrow he saw on her expressive face made it clear to him that her anguish was not about fear or concern her her own life, but about a life she held dearer than her own. It touched Sykes and he found himself silently praying that her message would never need to be read.

**~oOOo~**

After Nathaniel removed his armor and changed into more comfortable clothing, he went to find Fergus. When he was told that the teyrn was in his study, Nathaniel declined an escort; he'd practically grown up in this castle and knew his way around.

Fergus looked up from his paperwork as his friend entered the room. "Nate, it's good to see you, even if it is under rather awkward circumstances."

Nathaniel gave him a half smile. "I've missed you, too. As for the circumstances, they could be less awkward." Fergus was about to speak, but Nate held up his hand. "I know. I understand. However, I do need to explain a few things to you which will facilitate your conversation with Val."

Fergus arched an eyebrow. He wasn't expecting Nathaniel to have such familiarity with the infamous Champion. "Val? You are on a first name basis?"

Nathaniel answered mildly, "Her sister, Bethany, is one of my wardens, and a gifted mage." He couldn't keep the gleam from his eyes as he mentioned his lover.

Fergus was so focused on the issue of the Champion he didn't notice. "Did you recruit her from a circle?"

Nathaniel realized that Fergus was being a bit single-minded. "No, she has been an apostate her whole life. Her father, Malcolm Hawke, was an escaped Circle mage; he trained her. Exceedingly well, I might add."

"Hawke grew up with an _apostate_ father and sister?" Fergus was clearly dumbfounded by this revelation, unable to reconcile it with the woman who helped annihilate the Kirkwall Circle.

Nathaniel had already poured a glass of port, and upon seeing Fergus's expression, he handed him that glass and poured himself another.

Fergus gestured to the chair on the other side of his desk. "Have a seat, Nate."

He looked at the familiar chair in disbelief. It was a large, plainly carved, straight-back wooden chair, with an overly large and flat wooden seat. It was commanding looking, much like a throne, but far less elaborate. "You still have people sit in that? I've never sat in a more uncomfortable chair in the whole of my life; the last time I did, my arse was sore all night. Get out from behind that desk and let's sit by the fire on something _padded_."

Fergus still looked discomfited, but smirked at Nathaniel's assessment of the chair. "Well, it does keep meetings short and to the point."

Nathaniel snorted, "I bet."

The two men sat in front of the fireplace. While they sipped their port, each with their own thoughts, the only sound was the crackling of the fire.

After a few minutes, Fergus cleared his throat and looked at his friend, caution clear in his tone. "What information do you have that will 'facilitate my conversation' with Hawke?"

Nathaniel sat back and stretched his legs, then turned to Fergus. "You need to know things that Val will not tell you." Fergus was about to interrupt, but Nathaniel raised his hand and Fergus remained silent. "You know that she dueled the Arishok to save a friend from death, and the city from being conquered by the Qunari. What is less known is that during the fight the Arishok had skewered her on his massive two-handed sword but, amazingly, she managed to push herself off the sword and then put her sword through his heart."

"How do you know this is?"

"Because my sister, Delilah, was among those corralled in the throne room. She was in Kirkwall briefly, trying to find me and had just spoken with the Seneschal when the Qunari stormed the Keep. She witnessed the whole thing."

"Alright, so she's tough; I already figured that out. She saved the nobility from certain death."

"You underestimate the depth of her commitment to the people of Kirkwall. She didn't care a fig about the nobility. It was the rest of Kirkwall that concerned her."

Fergus brow furrowed. "What do you mean the rest of Kirkwall?

"You've never been to Kirkwall, so I will tell you this: aside from those in the Gallows, three quarters of Kirkwall's population live in conditions ranging from poor to desperately impoverished. Some live one illness or injury away from death, some less than that. Those are the people of Kirkwall that Val championed, and the very ones she protected by helping to quickly restore order after the Chantry exploded."

As Fergus thought about what he'd just heard, Nathaniel kept silent and tried to decide if he should tell Fergus about Maric.

Fergus, who knew his friend well, could tell that he was withholding something. "What else do you need to tell me?"

Nathaniel waged a silent war within himself. Finally, he looked a Fergus and spoke softly, "Maric Theirin is alive, and is married to Val."

Fergus nearly choked on his port. Coughing, he managed to gasp, "Right, and I'm the King of Antiva."

Nathaniel thumped Fergus on the back to help him cough up the inhaled port. Then he sat back in his chair. "I saw him and spoke with him at length. I saw the signet ring and how it fit his finger. He is Maric Theirin. He was saved from the shipwreck by a group of elves. They healed him, but his memory didn't fully return until after the Blight, so he made a home with the elves. That was where Val met him. There is more to it than this, but I cannot speak of it without breaking several important confidences."

If Fergus was dumbfounded before, he was at a complete loss upon hearing that information. "They're married? But, he's so much older. He must be in his early sixties."

"Technically yes, he has been alive for sixty-two summers, but when the elves healed him, their healing magic essentially reversed his aging. He is now the same hale, hearty man he was at forty-two. Physically, he is only fifteen years older than Val…although sometimes they both act like a couple of teenagers." Nathaniel grinned.

"Why wouldn't Hawke tell me any of this?"

"As for the Qunari, it's a matter of her undervaluing her worth. As for Maric, she's protecting him. She doesn't want it known that he's alive because there are still those in Orlais who would put his head on a pike if they had the chance. Currently, he's with the mages, helping them shore up their defenses. Val is in Ferelden, with Leliana, to recruit help from the Circle and the templars still loyal to the Chantry."

"Then why is she in Highever? You told her how I view her actions; why does she risk my ire and possible execution?"

"That is something you need to find out from Val." Nathaniel finished his port. "Please keep an open mind when you speak with her. The true story of her time in Kirkwall has been warped in many ways,"

Fergus could only nod as Nathaniel left the office. When the door closed he stood up and went to the jail.

**~oOOo~**

Cullen stood at the Gallows' dock to greet Masurian and his squad. The sight of the jocular group of Inquisitors being followed by Ostwick's newly Tranquil mages sickened him. Nonetheless, he schooled his expression to reflect what was appropriate for the situation.

In this case, it was a smile of welcome. "Well met, My Lord."

Masurian grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. "It is good to be back. We have much to discuss, but it will keep until tomorrow. Right now, the Tranquil need to be housed and I need a bath and a good meal."

Cullen nodded. "Baths have been drawn for you and the squad, and a hearty meal has been planned. I will see to the Tranquil."

"Good, good." He turned to the squad. "Baths and dinner, men! You are off duty until tomorrow."

The squad cheered and followed Masurian. They left behind ten Tranquil, who stood expressionless, watching Cullen.

"Follow me, I will show you to your new quarters. Look for Merrill; she is a Dalish elf. She will give you a tour of the area and introduce you to Myla who will explain your duties." As he walked towards the circle, Cullen flashed upon the memory of making Merrill Tranquil, his stomach clenched as nausea washed over him._ I'm not a monster; I'm trying to save lives. Andraste, when all this is over, I hope there will be enough of me left to make those words true._

**~oOOo~**

Val heard the jail door open and the guard's voice as he greeted the teyrn. Reluctantly, she sat up and wiped her tears with her sleeve. She turned toward Fergus and curtsied. "Your Grace."

Although, it was clear she had been crying, Fergus was struck, again, by her sincere and serene tone of voice. "You may rise."

Fergus sat on a chair that was placed in front of the cell bars, just out of arms reach. "Please bring your chair closer and sit down."

After Val did as she had been asked, she sat looked into the teyrn's eyes, waiting for him to begin the conversation.

**~oOOo~**

Merenwen and Elrohir had just explained to Adaia and her family that the young mage had been gifted with the ability to draw her power from the Creators through the Vhenadahl.

Adaia, realizing the importance of this, asked the question that had been on the minds of every villager since hearing the news. "Can we find out where the other three trees are hidden?"

Elrohir shrugged. "I do not know, _da'len_."

"Maybe I can ask the tree." Adaia ventured.

All four adults in the room looked at her. "Ask the tree?"

Adaia nodded. "When _Oran_ was teaching me how to hear the world sing, she also taught me how too…sing back. Although, it's not really singing…it's hard to explain, but I think I can do it. Though, I will not try it without talking to _Oran_ first."

Alistair and Kali smiled at the maturity displayed by their daughter in her refusal to try something like this without first talking to her teacher.

The next morning, Faenor and Rhovaneth were waiting for Adaia to arrive. The previous night, Merenwen had told both of them what Adaia wanted to do. Rhovaneth was extremely pleased that Adaia wanted to come to her before doing anything with the Vhenadahl. _She has matured much in a relatively short period of time. _

Adaia arrived without either of her parents,. She had convinced them that there was nothing to worry about because she was only talking to _Oran_ about it and that she was old enough to do that herself.

Adaia looked at both elves. "_Andaran atish'an Hahren Faenor. __Aneth ara, Oran."_

Rhovaneth greeted her pupil warmly,

"_Andaran Atish'an, da'len_." Faenor smiled.

Adaia looked from Faenor to her _Oran_ noticing their barely concealed excitement. _Keeper Merenwen must have told Oran about my idea. _"_Oran_, _Hahren_ _Faenor_ can I attempt to ask the Vhenadahl about the other trees?"

Rhovaneth and Faenor beamed and both answered excitedly. "Yes!"

**~oOOo~**

Fergus cleared his throat. "What form of address do you prefer?"

"Hawke, or Val, is fine Your Grace. Whichever is more comfortable for you."

"Hawke it is. Why risk your life by coming to Highever?" His tone was firm and direct as he looked her straight in the eye.

Val answered equally directly, "I am keeping a promise to your brother by trying to mend the rift between you."

Whatever Fergus expected her to say, it clearly wasn't that. He growled, "I have no brother!"

Val expected that reaction, and was prepared for it. Maintaining her calm, she said, "What you've heard about your brother is wrong–"

Fergus stood quickly, his face contorted with rage. "_Wrong_? I saw that proclamation! That bastard on the throne and his harpy of a wife wanted to create a new Chantry with an Orlesian mage-hater at the head who would take no time to turn the Fereldan circle into another Aeonar! He was going to exile the wardens and murder Alistair and his family. Fortunately they left Ferelden in time. Wrong? You have the unmitigated gall to tell me that what I've heard and seen is _wrong_?"

Fergus began to pace, his expression going from wrathful to vengeful. His voice was clipped and cold. "If anything, _anything_, happens to my brother-in-law, or my wife, or my unborn child, I will kill both of our _beloved_ monarchs and leave their corpses for the crows! I am done talking to you right now." He turned to his guards and left the jail without saying another word.

Val watched him leave. When the doors closed she felt empty, truly devoid of hope. _If he won't listen to me about this, he will never think of me as anyone other than a threat to the Fereldan mages. _She slowly stood up, went to the desk, and re-wrote her letter. Her only thought now was to make sure her journal was put into Maric's hands. _He should be at Andoral's Reach by now; perhaps if he receives word while Fiona is there…_She couldn't finish the thought as tears flowed down her cheeks.

She gathered the journal and the letter and went to the bars. Her voice was barely a whisper. "Guardsman, may I beg a favor?"

Sykes stood up but did not approach the bars. "That would depend on the favor."

"Please, can you take these and put then directly into Arl Howe's hands?"

Sykes was fairly certain that the teyrn would calm down and come back to talk with her, but clearly the Champion thought differently. Still he nodded. "Put them on the floor outside your cell, then move back to the other side."

When Sykes bent down and retrieved the parcel he said, "Once I'm off duty I will see to it."

Val tried to convey her gratitude, but all she could manage was a nod and a small smile. She made it back to her cot, curled-up and cried herself to sleep.

**~oOOo~**

Rhovaneth had sent for Alistair and Merenwen; and now the four adults stood with Adaia in the shade of the Vhenadahl.

Rhovaneth looked at her pupil. "_Da'len_, you are sure you want to attempt this?"

Adaia's reply was earnest. "I am, _Oran_. We must know where the other three trees are and how to reach them. They may help us find other ways to save the mages in Thedas."

Rhovaneth nodded. "Please join Faenor next to the tree."

Adaia stood with Faenor watching the tree; she noticed that the feel of this tree and the feel of the oak with which she had bonded were identical. _I wonder what it would feel like to bond to a real oak tree. _

Faenor took Adaia's hand. "Adaia, I want you to open your mind, you will hear the tree's song and when you do, focus your attention on it. Hopefully, this will create a link for you to communicate with it."

Alistair was nervous, but he had never felt prouder of Adaia as he did in that moment. He watched her as she listened intently to both Rhovaneth and Faenor, calmly took in the information and saw the understanding in her expression.

Adaia called up her wisp held it against the tree until it turned forest green.

Alistair remembered that it was the same color when she healed the tree during their last picnic with Val and Maric. He watched as she released the wisp and placed both hands against the tree. The wisp spiraled up the trunk, sank into the bark, and disappeared.

Adaia's expression was calm, and all was quiet. Suddenly, she was enveloped in a brilliant light of forest green before vanishing right before their eyes.

**~oOOo~**

It was late in the evening and Sykes stood before Arl Howe. "My Lord, Lady Hawke asked that I place this parcel directly into your hands."

Nathaniel had been worried when Fergus returned from the jail. It had been shortly before dinner, but he'd ignored everyone and locked himself in his study, with orders that he not be disturbed for any reason. Now he held Val's journal and what was clearly a letter. He felt his stomach drop. _He wouldn't dare._

Sykes saw the Arl's expression and quickly spoke. "Lady Hawke is alive and His Grace has made no pronouncements."

Nathaniel let out his breath. "Thank you, Guardsman."

"My Lord." Sykes bowed as he left.

Nathaniel sat on the sofa by the fire and read Val's note. _Clearly she wore this after she spoke with Fergus. _

_2 Justinian, 9:40 Dragon  
__Highever Castle  
__Ferelden_

_Nathaniel ~_

_After my execution, please do the following:_

_1. See that the two scrolls in my rucksack are given to the teyrn._

_2. Give my journal to Sebastian Vael, the Prince of Starkhaven. He will see that it is placed into the hands of the one who is my most beloved. _

_I want no reprisals against Teyrn Cousland; he is an honorable man and wanted nothing more than to protect his family and the mages of Ferelden. _

_Perhaps my execution is for the best. If the mages can never see me as anything other than their enemy, then my presence would only have served as deadly distraction._

_Nathaniel, you have been a good friend. Take care of yourself and of my sister. Tell her I love her._

_Yours,  
__Val_

As he read her words, anger, fear, and sorrow combined into a crushing grip of his heart. He knew that Val trusted him to make sure her journal would reach Maric, and that she was acting under the assumption that Fergus would execute her. Nathaniel quickly rose and went in search of Leliana.

**~oOOo~**

Just as everyone began to react to Adaia's disappearance, she reappeared next to the tree. She looked happy, but dazed.

Alistair reached her first and pulled her into a crushing hug, afraid to let go. "By the Creators, Adaia, I was terrified when you suddenly vanished! Are you okay? What happened?"

Adaia pulled back a bit, her gaze was turned inwards as she tried to explain her experience. "It was like…being surrounded by singing…I talked to the tree and in return I saw… a bear and the bear showed me the other three lands, and where the Eluvians are hidden."

Faenor had regained his powers of speech. "_Da'len,_ where are the trees?"

Alistair let Adaia go so she could speak to Faenor. "I'm sorry, I don't know the names of where they are because they aren't in Thedas, but I know what they look like. I _can_ tell you where the Eluvians are: One is in Bryn..law, one is in the 'Naysh…no…the _Nah_ashin Marshes, and the third is in the Brecilian Ruins."

Alistair shook his head. "We went through those ruins and didn't see anything resembling an Eluvian. Do you know where in the ruins it is, sweetling?"

"Sort of, Daddy. I only saw the room holding the Eluvian. Do you still remember the ruins?"

Alistair chuckled. "They were quite memorable, though not in a good way. I think if you describe the location I should be able to draw a map."

Merenwen looked thoughtful. "None of those locations were known to us when we went through Thedas to hide the Arlathan Eluvians.

Faenor's joy showed in his glowing expression and bright voice. "Those Eluvians were hidden by the Creators _before_ Fen Harel's treachery. Dirthamen was the one to find the new lands and to hide the Eluvians. While the Creators knew where the new lands were; only Dirthamen knew the location of each Eluvian…until now." He looked at Adaia and grinned.

Adaia blushed. "I just listened and watched."

Faenor hugged Adaia. "You darling girl, you! The bear you saw, Adaia, was a representation of Dirthamen! You couldn't have been closer to the Creators without being in their actual presence. That would not have been possible unless you were chosen and found worthy. You clearly have a wondrous gift that has only started to emerge."

Adaia's expression was a combination of surprise, delight, and trepidation. In the end, trepidation won out and she rushed into her father's arms.

As Alistair picked her up, she wrapped her arms around his neck, buried her face in his shoulders, and whispered, "Daddy, is it okay for me to be kinda scared?"

Alistair, who was feeling rather overwhelmed himself, said soothingly, "Yes, it's very okay to be scared. This is a lot to take in. But don't be afraid, neither your _Oran_, your mom, nor I will let anything bad happen to you."

Adaia kept her head buried in his shoulder, but nodded.

Alistair looked to the three elves; his eyes clearly conveyed the question, 'What now?'

**~oOOo~**

Fergus had implored his wife to stay in the family wing with the guards while Hawke was in Highever, but Teyrna Rayne was no delicate flower. She was a woman of action. It was one of the many things Fergus loved about her and it was the primary reason she refused to remain confined, especially after her brief hello from Nathaniel.

She left their rooms to find Fergus. _Nate didn't say much, but what he didn't say spoke volumes. My husband has lost his perspective in regards to the Champion. _

She saw the guards outside of his study and frowned. "Liam, is the teyrn in a meeting?"

"No, Your Grace, but he did leave orders not to be disturbed."

"Surely those orders don't include me, Liam?"

"No. Of course not, Your Grace." He opened the door.

The teyrn's voice exploded from within the room, "I said I wasn't to be disturbed!"

Rayne swept in and closed the door behind her. She saw Fergus with his head in his hands. Next to him was a half-empty decanter of brandy and an empty snifter. _Maker's grace! Why is he like this?_ "Do you consider your wife to be a disturbance? Shall I leave you to your drink, or will you tell me why you are in a panic about the arrival of human female, who by all accounts saved Kirkwall, and indeed the Free Marches, from forced indoctrination into the Qun?"

Fergus's head shot up looking at his tall wife. "Rayne, why are you here? I told you to stay in the family quarters."

She quickly picked up the decanter and snifter and said in a kind but firm tone, "What, and miss this? Please tell me, love, what has you in this state? If this is about Hawke, I am going to send for a healer because this reaction is way out of proportion to reality."

Fergus looked up angrily. "Out of proportion? That woman told me that she was here to keep a promise by trying to bring my brother and me back together. That what _I've_ heard about _my_ brother is wrong! If that proclamation…if that Orlesian cow…Maker's sake Rayne, what if our child is a mage? What about Gavin?"

"Fergus, enough! We are not dealing with another Rendon Howe. No one is going to come at us in the night and attack us, least of all the Champion of Kirkwall. Aedan is your brother and your king. If the Champion has information about what is going on in Denerim, it is ridiculous to sit here and drown yourself in brandy, ranting about her having the temerity to tell you. I am in no danger from her; Nate trusts her."

The teyrn looked at his wife. Her small tirade called him up short.

Rayne saw his stunned expression and smiled lovingly. "This is why you don't leave me sequestered somewhere. Who else is going to tell you to get your head out of your arse?"

Fergus went to his wife and gathered her in his arms. "Rayne, I– "

"Sh. No more, love. Please call in Nathaniel and the Seeker. I would like to speak with them before we talk with the Champion."

"We?"

Rayne challenged him with a look.

Fergus nodded and went to the door. He opened it to see Leliana and Nathaniel standing there trying to convince Liam to let them in.

Rayne was behind her husband and laughed. "Nate always had impeccable timing."

Once all four were seated in the study, the teyrna spoke first. "Seeker…your name is Leliana isn't it?"

"Yes, Your Grace. We needed to speak with your husband about Val."

"Val? Ah, Val Hawke. Well you now have both of our ears, what did you need to tell us?"

Nathaniel, who was clearly on edge and quite angry, tried to keep his voice calm even though he wanted hit his friend. "Val is here with Leliana to help save the mages, and our lovely Queen has duped us all into believing that Aedan supported the _former_ Grand Cleric. "

"Former?" Fergus said.

Nate pressed on. "Yes, she's dead and the Queen has been arrested for attempted regicide. This was some of what Val was going to tell you, but from what I gather you scared her so badly during your ten-minute visit, that I now have her journal and letter of instructions on what to do when she is _executed!_ Which, by the way, includes absolving you of all responsibility because and I quote 'he is an honorable man and wanted nothing more than to protect his family and the mages of Ferelden.' "

Rayne looked at Fergus, who was staring at Nate.

After a few minutes, Fergus scrubbed his face with his hands, then looked up_. _"She said she was here to help bring my brother and me back together, she said what I knew was wrong. I flew off the handle at her."

"Apparently," Nate said as he sat back and crossed his arms.

Nathaniel, Leliana, and Rayne all watched Fergus and waited. The teyrn took several deep breaths and said, "Clearly I screwed up. Probably from the time you all stepped foot into Highever. I'm sorry Nate, Leliana; I seem to have lost my way. I…I don't know what or who to trust right now, there is just so much happening and with Rayne pregnant…shit. I have been a real arse. You trust her that much Nathaniel?"

"With my life."

Rayne had heard all she needed. She went to the door and asked Liam to bring their steward.

A short minute later the chief steward entered the study. "Your Grace?"

"Keenan, please have the guest room in between Arl Howe's and Seeker Leliana's rooms prepared along with a bath, then have the Champion of Kirkwall escorted to her room."

"It will be done, Your Grace."

As soon as Keenan left, Rayne turned to Leliana. "It would probably help relieve Lady Hawke's nerves if you were there when she arrives."

Leliana stood up and curtsied. "Thank you, Your Grace," she said softly then left the room.

Nate looked at Rayne and Fergus and smiled. "Marrying her was a smart move, mate."

Fergus chuckled wryly. "Someone has to keep me from getting into trouble." Then he stood. "Once Hawke is settled in, bring her here and the four of us –

"Five of us"

"Five of us will talk."

Val was stunned when she was brought up from the jail and shown to a guestroom, but was relieved to see Leliana waiting for her. "Leli, what…?"

Leliana smiled. "Relax, my friend, you are in no danger. Come see me after you have bathed.

**~oOOo~**

Cullen, wearing a gambeson and leather britches, sat across from Varric, at the Hanged Man. Cullen had told Masurian that he would be spending the next two days inspecting the Inquisitors in Lowtown and Darktown, to which Masurian, who was quite pleased, readily agreed. It was the first time Cullen had been out of the Gallows since this whole campaign began and was enjoying the small amount of freedom.

Varric had ordered the Antivan brandy for both he and Cullen and they had been sipping it while engaged in some small talk. Varric clearly understanding Cullen's need to relax a bit before they talked business.

He looked at Varric. "Is the Merchant Guild willing to take back the extra lyrium and give us a percentage of the resale?"

Varric laughed. "Are you kidding? They get to sell the same lyrium over and over again. They are more than willing to give us a piece of that, Cullen."

"Good. They should begin to feel the effects of the lyrium withdrawal by the time their supply caravan is attacked in Ghislain."

Varric sat back and steepled his fingers. "You know, I hear that Ghislain hasn't been very prosperous of late; provisions have been in high demand. I sure hope that there is enough for the Inquisitors to buy. It would be a shame if they are not able to replace what may be destroyed."

Cullen smiled. "Yes, that would be unfortunate. I also understand that there are unscrupulous merchants in Ghislain. Rumor has it that they doctor lyrium potions with Soldier's Bane."

Varric said, "Most unfortunate."

Grinning, both men lifted their glasses in a silent toast. For the first time since he'd first returned to the Gallows Cullen began to feel that there might be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

**~oOOo~**

Val felt more confused than alarmed when she knocked on Leli's door.

When Leliana opened the door, she could tell from her friend's expression that she was deeply perplexed. "Val, Nathaniel and I explained to the teyrn and teyrna some of what happened in Denerim. We believe Fergus is ready to here the rest of it from you. It helped that the teyrna is a woman of perception and reason; she calmed her husband which helped us get it through his head that you are not a danger."

Val felt faint with relief. "Thank you, Leliana. I'll thank Nathaniel when I see him."

Leliana escorted her out of the room.

"Where are we going?"

"To the teyrn's study."

Val's stomach rumbled. Leliana smiled. "I will suggest we have some food brought in. That should appease your stomach for a while, yes?"

When they reached the study, Val's anxiety retuned four-fold. She took deep, slow breaths.

Leliana looked at Val. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."

When they entered the study Nathaniel, Fergus, and Rayne stood. Val looked at the teyrna–her hair was a rich chestnut brown and her eyes were a deep green. She was tall and, aside from her very rounded stomach, her chest and arms were developed much like Leliana's, which made Val wonder if the teyrna was an archer.

Teyrna Rayne approached Val, who crossed her arms and bowed. "Good evening, Your Grace."

Rayne chuckled. "There is no need to bow, Lady Theirin."

Val picked up her head in surprise. She looked to Nathaniel who gently nodded. She looked back the the teyrna. "Please, Your Grace, call me Val."

"Val it is. Please come and sit. We are awaiting a light repast."

Completely mystified at the change in her status, Val could only nod. She sat down across from Fergus and next to Nathaniel, whose presence began to calm her nerves.

Once everyone was settled, a serving maid entered with at tray of tea and biscuits. The aroma of made Val's stomach rumble again. She blushed a deep red. "Sorry."

Nathaniel chuckled. "You almost sound like a Warden."

"Almost?" Rayne ventured.

Still chuckling he explained, "Val's was pretty dainty. If it were a warden, you would be looking for a wild animal. Our stomach rumbles sound more like a roar."

Everyone smiled, which broke the ice a bit.

Val nibbled at a biscuit then sipped some tea, waiting for the inevitable questions.

Fergus put down his cup. His looked both humbled and embarrassed. "Val, I am sorry for what happened in the jail. I overreacted and I apologize for the grief it caused you."

An apology was the last thing she expected. "Your Grace, there is no need to apologize. I understand how painful that must have been to hear."

_How can she be so understanding? _"Nonetheless, I am deeply sorry."

"If it will help, than your apology is accepted."

"Thank you."

After that she sat quietly, waiting and sipping tea.

Finally Fergus asked, "What happened in Denerim? We know about the attempted regicide, but not how it came about."

Val explained all that had happened from the time she and Leli had had lunch with Aedan, until they left Denerim for Amaranthine.

Through it all she saw the teyrn's expression change from guarded, to horrified, to abashed. "But he signed his name to the proclamation."

"No, Your Grace, he didn't. The queen forged his signature and stole his signet ring so she could affix the seal. However, the King does believe in the back-bone of the proclamation – separating Ferelden from its last tie to Orlais."

Fergus looked thoughtful, then he nodded. "The Chantry and Orlais are too intertwined. If a civil war breaks out in Orlais, then there would be nothing to stop the Chantry from demanding we send troops."

Leliana, fortunately, said nothing, but Val could feel the tension in the bard.

Val gave Fergus a small smile. "That was precisely what your brother said. I can say that Divine Justinia V wouldn't do such a thing, but the same cannot be said about future Divines, especially given what happened during the occupation."

The teyrna asked, "So all the anti-mage rhetoric in the proclamation was inserted by Anora and Clodovea?"

"Yes, it was. Teyrn Fergus, these two scrolls are from your brother. One is personal, the other official. If you have any further questions about the events, the King has given me leave to answer them." She held the scrolls out for Fergus to take.

Rayne stood and poured another glass of brandy for Fergus and Nate, Val stuck with tea as did Leliana. Siting back down she fixed her gaze on Val. "What happened in Kirkwall?"

It took some effort for Val to recount the events in Kirkwall. She fought the flashbacks by trying to remember the safety she had felt in Maric's arms, but Maric's absence only made those thoughts hurt more. At one point Teyrna Rayne suggested that they continue later, but Val refused; she knew that if she stopped, she might never be able to start again. After she finished her account of the catastrophe, Nathaniel held her as she had been reduced to gut-wrenching sobs.

Rayne and Fergus were clearly overwhelmed by what Val had told them. Leliana suggested that she and Nathaniel take Val to her room to rest and the teyrn and teyrna readily agreed.

Fergus' eyes followed Val as Nathaniel practically carried her out of the room. He felt nothing except admiration for Val's courage and integrity.

**~oOOo~**

As soon as Nathaniel laid Val down on the bed, she fell into an exhausted sleep. Leliana asked him to step out while she dressed Val for bed. As she removed Val's clothes and put her in a shift, Val only woke up once and only long enough to whisper, "Thanks, Leli."

When she was done, Leliana banked the fire for the night and snuffed out the candles.

Nathaniel was waiting outside the door. "How is she?"

"She is asleep, mercifully. I have never seen her that upset. It took a lot of courage to relate that awful event to Fergus and his wife."

Nathaniel nodded. "Val told Bethany a bit about what had happened to her when she and Maric went to Kirkwall. The flashbacks can be devastating."

Leliana brightened. "Hopefully that will be the last time she will have to speak of it."

**~oOOo~**

Fergus sat on the sofa next to his wife as he unfurled the scroll from his brother. The official scroll sat in his lap. Rayne and Fergus read the scroll.

_Fergus,_

_If you're reading this then Val Hawke told you about the events at the Palace. I can only pray that your opinion of me has risen at least a little bit in that you no longer actively hate me._

_I hope you know that I would never consider murdering a family; I killed Howe to avenge ours. My only regret was that I couldn't kill him more than once. I'm so sorry for not realizing sooner why Alistair and his family left so suddenly. If I had, I would have been able to take action against Anora and Clodovea then. But if wishes were fishes…_

_The proclamation I worked on with Anora was never to be used to cudgel the mages of Ferelden. That language was inserted before Our Queen tampered with it and used my seal. I wanted to separate Ferelden from the Orlesian Chantry and I will not stop until that's done. For far too long the throne has ignored the three hundred pound bronto in the room–Ferelden can never be truly free unless we shed the yoke of the Orlesian Chantry. Under this proclamation, as it was supposed to be written, spiritual matters would no longer be the sole purview of the Chantry. The final authority in all Fereldan matters will rest with the Crown and the members of the Landsmeet, as it should be._

_I will cease my ranting, as you used to call it; it is enough to say that my responsibility is to all Fereldans, including those gifted with magic. Ignorance will no longer be the law of the land._

_Fergus, I have always felt blessed to have you as my brother. You always were there for me, even when I wasn't there for myself. You and Father were my role models, and I am pained to see that I have not lived up to the example you both set. Please forgive me for my shortsightedness in trusting Anora and letting myself be made the fool. Know that I never once intended to harm you, Rayne, Gavin, or my future niece/nephew. _

_The other scroll is the formal request for the Teyrn and Teyrna of Highever's presence in Denerim for the trial of Queen Anora. I know Rayne is close to her confinement so please do what you think is best. _

_If you need details on the recent events, I'm sure Val already mentioned that she has been given leave to answer all your questions._

_Regarding Val, please believe her–if she had any other option she would have spared the mages, all except Anders, of course. To protect the people of Kirkwall, Val gave up a part of her soul. _

_Know that regardless of your feelings towards me, I will always love you as a brother. Even if you decide that my actions are unforgivable you will always be my family._

_Love,  
__Aedan_

Fergus put down the scroll; his eyes filled with unshed tears. He turned to Rayne, who was crying, leaning against his shoulder. Fergus pulled her into his arms and let his tears fall. _Aedan, you are my brother and will always be._

**~oOOo~**

**AN:** Thank you to whomever is still with me. Thank you to Melysande, csorciere, EasternViolet, and Shakespira for your reviews. Many thanks to Shakespira who patiently beta's my work. You have given me such a wonderful support.

BioWare owns all.


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